Eagle Rock Gives Audiences Its All In Its New Sinatra Bio

Courtesy: Eagle Rock Entertainment

On December 12, 1915 one of America’s greatest entertainers was born.  His name was Francis Albert Sinatra.  He was more well known as Frank Sinatra.  That was just a little more than a century ago.  And this past December America stopped to mark the 100^th anniversary of the late, great entertainer’s birthday.  Tributes were paid throughout both the music industry and Hollywood since Sinatra’s career spanned both worlds.  There were even television specials that put the spotlight on some of Sinatra’s greatest achievements in his life and career.  And just ahead of the anniversary Eagle Rock Entertainment released a very special retrospective on the music legend’s life and career in the form of Sinatra: All Or Nothing At All.  The title lifts from his hit song of the same name.  And even while the hundredth anniversary of Sinatra’s birth has passed it does not detract from the importance of this bio.  As a matter of fact, with the milestone anniversary in question having passed, this documentary actually takes on even more importance.  It is such a thorough look at Sinatra’s life and career that the standard DVD presentation requires two discs to cover everything.  The main feature presented in Eagle Rock’s new bio of “Old Blue Eyes” is just one part of what makes this presentation a must have for fans of Sinatra’s life and work.  The bonus material included in the presentation adds even more enjoyment to the documentary’s overall presentation.    It is made up of various interviews with those that were close to Sinatra. But the anecdotes that are shared in each interview serve to make the portrait painted in the program’s main feature all the richer. The companion booklet that comes with the double-DVD set rounds out the set’s presentation. It gives even more background on Sinatra’s life and career, even including Sinatra’s own note written to fans announcing his retirement and then return from retirement. Each element plays its own important part in the whole of Sinatra: All Or Nothing At All. Altogether they make this presentation a piece that any Sinatra fan should have just as much as any lover of the true classics.

Eagle Rock Entertainment’s new Sinatra bio Sinatra: All Or Nothing At All is a presentation that any Sinatra fan should have just as much as any lover of music’s golden age. That is because it in fact gives its all over the course of its nearly two and a half hour run time. Specifically speaking its run time comes in at two hours and twenty-one minutes. Note this is in the case of the presentation’s DVD and Blu-ray presentation. There is so much information provided in the course of that time that the DVD portion requires two discs in order to cover everything. In other words Eagle Rock Entertainment doesn’t just give a quick over view of Sinatra’s life and career here. Rather, they present Sinatra the man, the myth, and the legend. The story doesn’t pull any punches along the way, either. Audiences are presented with the full picture of Frank Sinatra as a man that loved doing what he did and fully appreciated his audiences for their love of his work. They are also presented with a man that was a social activist of sorts, openly noting in interviews that he disagreed with segregation in every form. There is also plenty of mention of his support of America’s military. For all of the positives that audiences see here, audiences also see a portrait of Sinatra as a man that was a playboy of sorts, much like so many male celebrities of his time and who had a little bit of a controlling side, too. This and so much more is presented in the documentary’s main feature. From his birth in New Jersey right up to his final days, Eagle Rock presents in the bio’s main feature what is one of the most thorough Sinatra bios presented on DVD or Blu-ray in a very long time. As important as that thorough presentation is to the overall presentation of Sinatra: All Or Nothing At All it is just one part of what makes this presentation well worth the purchase. The bonus “interviews” included in the presentation add even more enjoyment to the presentation.

The central feature of Sinatra: All Or Nothing At All is in itself plenty of reason for audiences to add this video bio to their home DVD/Blu-ray collections should they not have access to the extended Deluxe edition of Eagle Rock’s new Sinatra bio. The bonus “interviews” that are included with the bio’s main feature are just as important to the overall presentation here as its central feature. The “interviews” are not that long. In all they total roughly thirteen minutes. But even in that short time, audiences get even more background on Frank Sinatra the performer and the man. Ex-wife Mia Farrow notes in her interview how casually he suggested they get married, laughing as she recollects the suggestion. And close friend Jerry Weintraub recollects Sinatra telling him at one point that he [Weintraub] needed to get his heart checked, only to end up getting him drunk shortly thereafter. Weintraub’s recollection of what Sinatra said days later will leave audiences in stitches. That won’t be revealed here for the sake of those that haven’t yet heard this anecdote. But it is funny needless to say. Jill St. John shares her own interesting bit of info in her interview noting that Sinatra did not like doing multiple takes when recording. She notes that he was more of a one-take type of person. It really showed his dedication to getting the music right and getting it the best that it can possibly be. Comedian/entertainer Jerry Lewis offers what is one of the most enlightening and moving memories of Sinatra as he recalls going to Richmond, Virginia to perform at a private benefit show for a fireman that had died doing his job. Lewis recalls that Sinatra never answered his question as he asked about people knowing that he [Sinatra] was a good man. The response that Sinatra gave will both leave audiences laughing but also being moved. It’s just one more way that the bonus “interviews” included in the presentation of Sinatra: All Or Nothing At All prove to be their own collectively important way to the documentary’s overall presentation. Together with the program’s central feature both elements show even more clearly why this latest Sinatra bio is one of the best to come along in a very long time. Even as important as both elements are both by themselves and together, they are still not the only elements worth noting in the program’s overall presentation. The companion booklet that is included in the double-disc DVD presentation rounds out said presentation.

Both the main feature of Sinatra: All Or Nothing At All and the bonus “interviews” included in the package are equally important to the documentary’s overall presentation. As important as they are to its whole, they still are not all that make it an interesting program to watch. The companion booklet included with the package rounds out its presentation. The booklet offers even more history for fans and audiophiles alike. It gives a much shorter version of the bio presented on the program’s discs. But it is still just as concise, offering up the most important parts of Sinatra’s life. It even includes Sinatra’s own to his fans announcing his retirement. That is followed by the history of his return from retirement, including his own explanation as to why he came out of retirement. His humble explanation plays even more in tandem with the statements made by his friends and family in the program’s main feature and interviews. He notes that, “After the so-called retirement I was struggling, I was really fighting my way out of the doldrums because when I quit, I let everything go, and it all fell down. He goes on to offer more in his explanation for his return. But that will be saved for audiences to discover for themselves when they purchase this documentary or its deluxe edition. Those statements couple with everything else presented in the program’s companion booklet to prove in whole why the booklet is more than just a booklet. It is its own important part of the bio presented in Sinatra: All Or Nothing At All. Together with the program’s main feature and bonus “interviews” all three elements combine to show with full clarity why this documentary is, again, a must have for any Sinatra aficionado and for any audiophile in general.

Eagle Rock Entertainment’s new Frank Sinatra bio Sinatra: All Or Nothing At All is a must have for any Sinatra aficionado and for audiophiles in general. That is because it is one of the most thorough bios presented about the music legend in a long time. That depth of information is centered on the program’s main feature. The main feature comes in at nearly two and a half hours. And it is nearly two and a half hours that will keep audiences completely engaged from beginning to end. The bonus “interviews” and companion booklet that complement that feature complete the presentation, giving even more background and history on Sinatra the man, the myth, and the legend. Each element plays its own integral part to this documentary. Altogether they make it a documentary that any Sinatra fan should have in his or her own home DVD/Blu-ray library. That is especially the case for those that can’t get their hands on the documentary’s deluxe edition. That edition gives audiences the fullest experience. That is not to take anything away from this presentation of course. It offers its own entertainment and value. It is available now in stores and online. It is available on 2-DVD, 2-Blu-ray, Deluxe Edition and digital formats. The 2-DVD and 2-Blu-ray presentation will both retail for MSRP of $29.98 while the Deluxe Edition will retail for MSRP of $69.99. That is because of the expansive amount of material included in the Deluxe Edition. It features the All or Nothing At All Documentary on two DVDs, Sinatra’s complete 1971 “Retirement Concert” on both DVD and CD platform, a one-on-one interview between Sinatra and famed newsman Walter Cronkite originally recorded in 1965 (on one DVD), a reproduction of the 1971 Life Magazine article discussing Sinatra’s “Retirement Concert,” a separate bonus booklet, and six art cards housed in their own envelope. More information on Sinatra: All Or Nothing At All and other titles from Eagle Rock Entertainment is available online now along with all of the latest news from the leading name in live recordings at:

Website: http://www.eagle-rock.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/EagleRockEnt

Twitter: http://twitter.com/EagleRockNews

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Take Me To The River Hits All Of The Right Notes At All Of The Right Times

Courtesy: Shout! Factory

Music, it is often said, is the universal language. It is a language that bridges cultures and transcends generations. Even with audiences’ varying tastes music still does more to bring together the world’s people than any politician could ever do. That includes not just American politicians but politicians in general. That has been proven time and again throughout the music industry’s rich history. It has helped make some of America’s best moments even better. It has also helped the country get through some of its most trying times. That ability to get America through its best and worst times shows its immense power. In 2014 director Martin Shore presented audiences with just one example of that power in the documentary Take Me To The River. The roughly hour and a half documentary follows the collaboration of a number of legendary Memphis musicians and modern artists in the creation of a new album that resurrects the songs of said legends. While that presentation lies at the heart of the documentary it is just one aspect of the program’s story. There is far more to the documentary than that process. And thanks to Shout! Factory, audiences will get to see just how much more there is to the story when Take Me To The River will finally be released in stores and online next week. That story is just one part of what makes the documentary worth the watch, too. The music that audiences get to hear throughout the course of the documentary is just as important to the program as its multi-faceted main presentation. Rounding out the documentary’s presentation is its bonus interviews and recording session featuring the recording of ‘Be Like Me’ with The Bar-Kays and rap duo 8Ball and MJG. Each element plays its own important role in the whole of Take Me To The River. Altogether, they make it a documentary that even not being new per se, still hits all the right notes at all the right times from beginning to end even almost two years after its original debut.

Nearly two years after its theatrical debut, director Martin Shore’s music documentary Take Me To The River is finally coming home. Why it took so long for it to finally be released on DVD and Blu-ray is anybody’s guess. Regardless of why it took so long, it can still be said that it is a welcome “new” release for music lovers even if audiences were not lucky enough to see it in its original theatrical release. This is proven primarily through the program’s multi-faceted main story. At the heart of that story is the recording process for an album that was meant to celebrate the relationship between some of Memphis’ most legendary performers and the artists who were influenced by those legends. Audiences will be interested to see the broad spectrum of acts that were influenced by the Memphis music scene of days gone by. On a related note, the respect shared between the two groups exhibited in the recording process is just as impressive. Of course that portion of the program’s main story is just one part of its whole. Along with that story Shore also presents the story of Stax Record, which was based in Memphis and its role in not just the Memphis music scene but in the nation’s history in whole. That story is the real story. Viewers learn about the founding of Stax and how its founding was influenced by the racial tensions of the day. Despite said tensions, it became a refuge of sorts; a place where artists white and black alike could record their music together. And as is revealed in the extended interview with Snoop Dogg and William Bell, it was much more than that. It played just as much of a role in the music industry at the time as it did in the nation’s culture and history. There is even a lesson on the artists that made Stax so great then and still does today as the recording process for the album proceeds. Audiences get to learn about William Bell, Bobby “Blue” Bland, Booker T, Charlie Musselwhite, and a number of other legends of the Memphis music scene. The combined music history lessons and recording documentary that are presented within the main presentation of Take Me To The River show clearly together why the program’s central story is key to its overall presentation.

The multi-faceted story that lies at the center of Take Me To The River shows in itself quite clearly how this documentary hits all the right notes at all the right times. Of course it is just one element within the program’s presentation that proves this argument. The songs that are featured throughout the recording process are just as important to note as the story of the process of their recording. The songs–twelve in all–are classic pieces that have been re-worked with a modern touch. One of the best of the featured songs is ‘Ain’t No Sunshine.’ The song featured Memphis legend Bobby “Blue” Bland teaming up with rapper Yo Gotti for a piece that is one of the recording’s best numbers. Bland’s gentle chorus works with Yo Gotti’s verses and the song’s solid, infectious hip-hop style backbeat to make it a song that gives the classic tune a welcome update. ‘Wish I Had Answered’ is another great number. Audiences will find themselves tapping their feet in time as legendary singer Mavis Staples and North Mississippi All Stars work their magic in this bluesy/gospel hybrid. ‘If I Should Have Bad Luck’ is another impressive and enjoyable song that audiences get to see come to life. Charlie Musselwhite’s vocal delivery and harmonica work are the song’s magic elements. It’s just one more example of how the songs featured in the documentary make it more enjoyable in whole. It’s not the last example of the song’s importance to the documentary either. Any of the recording’s dozen tracks could just as easily be cited as examples of what makes th songs their own important element of the documentary. The songs, when coupled with the documentary’s central story, make even clearer why Take Me To The River hits all the right notes. They still are only a portion of what makes the program such a worthwhile watch. The bonus interviews that are included with the program give it even more interest.

The story at the center of Take Me To The River and the program’s featured songs are both equally important elements in its success. That is because together they tell a deep and engaging story that any music history buff will enjoy. For all of the importance of the program’s story and its featured songs those elements are but a portion of what makes it worth the watch. The bonus interviews that are included with the presentation round out the documentary. Audiences will be interested to learn how Al Bell came to write the hit song ‘I’ll Take You There.’ Even as Mr. Bell doesn’t allow himself to become choked up in telling the story, the same cant’ be said of audiences. That is especially the case as he notes that he “didn’t write the song, but that it wrote through him.” He explains in full depth to narrator/interviewer Terrance Howard (Hustle & Flow, Iron Man, Red Tails) how the violence of the era played a direct role in the song’s creation. That is the extent of what will be told here so as to not ruin the story for others. Needless to say th full story is truly moving and enlightening. On a related note, the interview with Snoop Dogg and William Bell is just as interesting. The pair’s discussion runs th gamut from the serious to the silly throughout. One of the most interesting discussions shared in this interview is the comparison of Stax Records to Motown. Snoop, whose real name is Calvin Broadus, and Bell discuss how Motown wrote songs more for the masses while acts signed to Stax made music more for the people so to speak. They weren’t trying to make money in other words. They just wanted to get their songs out there and share the struggles that everyone felt through their songs. Snoop Dogg’s affirmation of the importance of Stax both to itself and the culture in which it was founded and to the modern hip-hop industry is believable. He really sounds serious about its importance. At a later point in the interview, Bell and Broadus change gears and start talking about DJs and Soul Train of all things. It was completely off th topic. But it was also so natural in the bigger picture of things. And it is hardly the last of th discussions shared between th pair in its interview. There is far more for audiences to take in here. And audiences that purchase the program for themselves will discover just how entertaining and informative those other noted topics are. They will also agree in discovering this that the bonus interviews included alongside the central story of Take Me To The River and its featured songs round out the presentation, making it a presentation in whole that once again hits all the right notes at all of the right times.

Shout! Factory’s new home release of Take Me To The River is a presentation that hits all of the right notes at all of the right times. This is the case even with the documentary having originally debuted in theaters nearly two years ago. That is thanks in large part to its multi-faceted story. The program’s featured songs present their own interesting music history lesson. That lesson and the lesson taught in the program’s central story double up to show clearly why Take Me To The River hits all of the right notes at the right times. The bonus interviews included as part of the documentary’s home release round out the program. The background and bonus information that thy share rounds out the program and shows once and for all that while this documentary may not be new per se, it is still a piece that hits all of the right notes at all of the right times. Take Me To The River will be available next Tuesday, February 5th in stores and online. It can be re-ordered online now direct via Shout! Factory’s online store at https://www.shoutfactory.com/film/documentary/take-me-to-the-river. More information on this and other titles from Shout! Factory is available online now at:

Website: http://www.shoutfactory.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/shoutfactoryofficial

Twitter: http://twitter.com/ShoutFactory

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Paramount Announces Upcoming Re-Issue Of Hogan’s Heroes: The Complete Series

Courtesy: Paramount Studios Home Entertainment/CBS DVD

Paramount is reusrrecting one of CBS’ greatest sitcoms this spring.

Hogan’s Heroes: The Complete Series will be released in stores and online on Tuesday, March 8th. Its upcoming release marks the third time that it has been released and second time that it has been re-issued. It was originally released in an expansive six-box set on June 5th, 2007. Another release of the series followed on November 24th, 2009 in the form of Hogan’s Heroes: The Komplete Series –Kommandant’s Kollection. That release was more ergonomic than its predecessor and offered few bonuses for audiences. This set, while being perhaps less ergonomic than the series’ 2009 box set, is still far more ergonomic than its 2007 release. It also offers new box art and its own share of bonus material. It will present the series’ 168 total episodes spread across 27 discs in one complete box. Pricing information will be announced as the set’s release nears.

More information on this and other titles from Paramount is available online now at:

Website: http://www.ParamountMovies.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/ParamountMovies

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Time Life’s Latest Carol Burnett Show Box Set Is A Treasure In Itself

Courtesy: Time Life Entertainment

Television today is not what it used to be. Between all of the drama, serials, and sex there really is not a lot worth watching anymore. That is not to say that there is nothing worth watching. But television’s true worthwhile commercial offerings are, at least in the eyes of this critic, few and far between. It goes without saying that in terms of current offerings on television, PBS is the last bastion of truly worthwhile programming. While it is the last bastion of truly worthwhile programming on television, there are other options available on DVD and Blu-ray thanks to the likes of Shout! Factory and Time Life Entertainment. Both companies have proven in the past ten years or so to be the leading names in the home entertainment market in terms of truly worthwhile television offerings. And next month Time Life Entertainment will show why it holds its title once again when it releases its latest collection of classic Carol Burnett Show episodes The Carol Burnett Show: The Lost Episodes – Treasures From The Vault. The six-disc set is a continuation of Time Life Entertainment’s previous Carol Burnett Show box set, The Carol Burnett Show: The Lost Episodes. That set was released this past September. Just as with that box set, the episodes collected for this set lie at the heart of its presentation. The collective work of the show’s writers and cast is another important element in its presentation. The set’s companion booklet rounds out its most important elements. Each element plays its own important part in the whole of Time Life Entertainment’s new Carol Burnett Show box set. Altogether, they make The Carol Burnett Show: The Lost Episodes – Treasures From The Vault one more treasure for fans of the classic variety show and of classic TV in general.

Time Life Entertainment’s latest collection of episodes from The Carol Burnett Show is one more treasure for fans of the classic variety show and for classic TV fans in general. This is especially true in an age when commercial networks’ offerings are largely anything but being worth the watch. The main element that makes it such a wonderful treasure is its episodes. As with Time Life’s previous Lost Episodes collection from The Carol Burnett Show this collection lifts its fifteen total episodes from the series’ first five seasons. This is important to note because none of the episodes from the show’s first five seasons had ever been released in any of Time Life’s previous Carol Burnett Show box sets up until the release of this box set and its predecessor. Considering that the series’ first five seasons’ episode count totals 134 episodes, and only 30 of those episodes will have seen the light of day upon this box set’s release, that still leaves 104 episodes to be released. That means that this latest installment will hardly be the last collection to feature episodes from the series’ first five seasons. Since it looks like Time Life won’t be releasing the series in its complete season sets or even full series run anytime soon, this is a very good thing for fans. It means that the laughs and guffaws will keep coming for some time to come. And that’s just the beginning of this box set’s positives. The work of the show’s writers and cast together makes for plenty of entertainment for audiences.

The episodes featured in Time Life Entertainment’s latest Carol Burnett Show collection are important in their own right to the set’s overall presentation. That is because they are just one more collection of previously unreleased episodes from the series’ first five episodes. Collectively speaking they are hardly the last episodes from The Carol Burnett Show’s early years to be released. Considering the total number of episodes that made up the show’s first five seasons, there are plenty more to come. It would have been nice to have these episodes in full standalone season sets. But beggars can’t be choosers. Now considering this, they are collectively just one part of what makes this collection its own treasure. Throughout the course of this collection’s featured episodes, the writers and cast work together to give audiences loads of laughs. One episode that clearly exhibits this comes late in the set’s run in the form of “Cheek to Cheek.” This skit, included in Disc Twelve (Yes, twelve. That will be discussed later) pokes fun at the dance numbers that filled so many classic movies from the 1930s and 40s. It compares those classic scenes (and numbers) to what a real life scenario would look like if everybody suddenly broke out in song and dance. The very concept was, for its time, original to say the least. And the very thought is in itself pretty funny. Watching Harvey suddenly breaking out in song and dance, taking Carol and having her dance around in the “restaurant” adds to that hilarity. Harvey’s almost Woody Allen style character is a laugh riot with his New York accent and glasses. It is something that audiences simply must see in order to appreciate. On another note “The Secretaries” offers just as much entertainment. Carol stars opposite Harvey Korman as Ms. Farnum, Mr. Bradley’s secretary. Ms. Farnum has to choose her temporary replacement so that she can go on vacation. She ends up coming face to face with some candidates that definitely outshine her with hilarious results. The ultimate outcome won’t be revealed here. But it will leave audiences in stitches, needless to say. As if that isn’t enough, “The Wonderful World of Hospitals” offers its own share of entertainment. Guest star Jonathan Winters stars opposite Harvey Korman in this sketch. Winters is hilarious as the doctor being interviewed here. His character is one part Jonathan Winters and one part Groucho Marx. It’s something that must be seen to be believed and appreciated. At one point he laughs at one of his jokes and ever so subtly uses his stethoscope to check his own heart rate after the fact. The subtlety of that movement is so funny. Again, it’s one of those moments that is so absurd that one can’t help but laugh at it. The very concept behind the skit makes the writers well deserving of their applause once again here. The same applies to Korman for his ability to maintain a certain seriousness throughout the sketch even with Winters’ laugh riot performance. It’s just one more way in which the combined efforts of the series’ writers and cast make this latest collection of episodes a true treasure. There are plenty of other moments that could be cited as examples, too. Ken Berry’s footwork as he dances to “Mr. Bojangles” is another example that could be cited in this argument. As Carol and her castmates pay tribute to Warner Brothers’ Looney Tunes, audiences will find themselves laughing just as much. And Carol’s set closing performance as the famed Charwoman is perhaps the highest of the set highest moments. The moment in question sees the Charwoman closing down the set of The Carol Burnett Show at the end of a season. She imagines that she is in each of the sketches that were churned out in the season in question. It is a truly memorable and moving moment that is certain to leave at least some audiences shedding tears of joy thanks to its beauty and gentility. Whether for that moment, those directly noted here or even those not directly noted, it can be said of the cast and writers’ work here that both play integral parts in the overall presentation of Time Life Entertainment’s new Carol Burnett Show box set. Together with the episodes themselves, both elements combine to give audiences even more reason to purchase this box set. Even with their importance they are still not all that should be noted of the collection. The set’s companion booklet rounds out its presentation.

The episodes that are featured in Time Life Entertainment’s new Carol Burnett Show box set and the work put into each episode by the show’s writers and cast go a long way towards making the collection in whole enjoyable. as important as both elements are to the set’s presentation they are not the set’s only notable elements. The companion booklet that comes with the box set is just as important to the set as the previously noted elements. That is because it continues a tradition established by Time Life in the company’s previous Carol Burnett Show presentations. The tradition in question is making the booklet not just a booklet but a part of the set’s overall experience. It features a full episode guide that is specific to each of the set’s discs. Audiences will note of the listed discs that rather than simply labeling them as Disc 1 – 6, Time Life has instead labeled them as Disc 7 – 12. This is important to note because it tells audiences that Time Life didn’t just throw together a bunch of episodes and random discs. Instead it proves to audiences that the set is a direct connection to Time Life’s previous Lost Episodes collection. Time Life is to be applauded quite soundly for that. What’s more there are even little tidbits about different episodes throughout the guide that come from Carol herself and in general. All of this taken into consideration, it shows clearly why the companion booklet that comes with The Carol Burnett Show: The Lost Episodes — Treasures From The Vault is just as important to the set in whole as the set’s featured episodes and the content of each episode. It works together with those elements to show once and for all, without a doubt, that this set is indeed a treasure of its own both for Carol Burnett Show fans and for classic TV lovers in general.

The Carol Burnett Show: The Lost Episodes — Treasures From The Vault is a treasure of its own both for fans of The Carol Burnett Show and for classic television lovers in general. It shows this mainly through its collected episodes. The episodes are another sampling of previously unreleased episodes from the series’ first five seasons. The work put into each episode by the series’ writers and cast make each episode a laugh riot for any viewer. The companion booklet included in the six-disc sets completes audiences viewing experience as it not only offers a complete disc-by-disc episode guide but also bonus background information on specific episodes. Audiences even get to choose from the episodes within each disc, making the overall viewing experience all the more enjoyable. Each element plays its own important part in the overall presentation of The Carol Burnett Show: The Lost Episodes — Treasures From The Vault. Altogether they show clearly why the collection is a treasure in and of itself both for fans of The Carol Burnett Show and for classic TV fans in general. It will be available on Tuesday, February 9th and can be ordered online via Amazon at http://www.amazon.com/Carol-Burnett-Show-Treasures-Vault/dp/B018DQV44I/ref=sr_1_1?s=movies-tv&ie=UTF8&qid=1453840504&sr=1-1&keywords=the+carol+burnett+show+treasures+from+the+vault. More information on this and other titles from Time Life Entertainment is available online now at:

Website: http://timelife.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/TimeLifeUS

Twitter: http://twitter.com/TimeLifeUS

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The Veer Union To Headline Inaugural Live & Loud Tour

Courtesy: Round 2 Records

The Veer Union is heading out on the road this winter.

The Vancouver, British Columbia-based band will headline Round 2 Records’ inaugural Live and Loud Tour when it heads out on the road on Thursday, February 18^th. The twenty-three date tour—in support of the band’s upcoming album Decade–kicks off in San Diego, California and runs through Sunday, March 27^th in Crest Hill, Illinois. Bobaflex, Artifas, and Bridge To Grace will serve as support acts for the tour. Ticketing information is available online now along with venue information and more at http://www.round2live.com. The current schedule for the Round 2 Live & Loud Tour is noted below.

 

Round 2 Live & Loud Tour Dates:

2-18 San Diego CA – Brick by Brick

2-19 Phoenix AZ – Last Exit Live

2-20 Flagstaff AZ – The Green Room

2-23 Las Cruces NM – TBA

2-25 San Antonio TX – Fitzgeralds

2-26 Abeline TX – Legends Rock House

2-27 Tyler Tx – Clicks Live

2-28 San Leon Tx – 18th Street Pier

3-2 Slidell LA – The Corner Pub

3-4 Clarksville TN – The Warehouse

3-5 Madison AL – 11th Frame

3-6 JACKSON TN – The Empourium

3-9 Tallahassee FL – Pugs Live

3-10 Charlotte NC – Amos Southend

3-11 Anderson SC – TJ Whispers

3-12 Fayetteville NC – The Rock Shop

3-13 Greensboro NC – Blind Tiger

3-16 Charleston WV – TBA

3-17 Morgantown WV – TBA

3-19 Hagarstown MD – Hard Times Cafe

3-25 Kent OH – The Outpost

3-26 Southbend IN – TBA

3-27 Crest Hill IL – Bada Brew

 

 

While audiences wait for the tour to launch they can check out the video for Decade’s lead single ‘Defying Gravity’ online now. It can be viewed via YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zEDD_s5dk2M.

Courtesy: Pavement Entertainment

More information on The Veer Union’s upcoming tour is available online along with information on Decade and all of the band’s latest news at:

Website: http://www.theveerunion.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/theveerunion

Twitter: http://twitter.com/theveerunion

 

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Exmortus To Support Amon Amarth On Band’s Upcoming Tour

Courtesy: Metal Blade Records/Prosthetic Records

Exmortus is hitting the road this spring alongside Amon Amarth and Entombed A.D.

The Whittier, CA-based thrash metal quartet announced Monday that it will join Entombed A.D. as a support act for Amon Amarth on the band’s upcoming Jomsviking North American Tour. The tour kicks off Thursday, April 7^th in San Diego, California and currently runs through Saturday, May 21^st in Los Angeles, CA. The thirty-five date tour is in support of Amon Amarth’s upcoming album Jomsviking (it’s tenth overall studio recording), which will be released in stores and online on Friday, March 25^th. Exmortus’ stint on the Jomsviking North American tour is part of its continued support of its latest full-length studio recording Ride Forth. That album was released earlier this month. The album debuted at #12 on Billboard’s Heatseekers chart. Front man Janan “Conan” Gonzalez was optimistic about the upcoming tour noting his respect for Amon Amarth and its extensive body of work as part of his motivation for performing with Amon Amarth. “I am beyond stoked to tour alongside such renowned viking warriors! Always loved their work and image,” he said. Amon Amarth is the elvish name of Mount Doom in Lord of the Rings and I’m a huge Tolkien fan, so I’m sure we’ll get along great.” Tickets for the tour go on sale this Friday, January 29that 10am local time. More information on ticketing is available online now at http://www.exmortusmusic.com.

Exmortus is currently in the midst of its own headlining tour in support of its new album. The tour runs through February 25^th in Gallup, New Mexico and includes a performance at Raleigh, NC’s Pour House. That tour schedule is listed below along with Exmortus’ upcoming tour schedule with Amon Amarth and Entombed A.D.

 

UPCOMING EXMORTUS TOUR DATES

1/25 Winnipeg, MB – The Park *

1/26 Regina, SK – The Exchange *

1/27 Calgary, AB – Nite Owl *

1/28 Edmonton, AB – Starlite Room *

1/30 Vancouver, BC – Rickshaw Theater *

1/31 Seattle, WA – Studio Seven *

2/1 Portland, OR – Hawthorne Theatre *

2/2 San Francisco, CA – Thee Parkside *

2/3 West Hollywood, CA – Whisky a Go Go *

2/4 San Diego, CA – Brick by Brick *

2/5 Tempe, AZ – Club Red *

2/6 Las Vegas, NV – LVCS *

2/7 Reno, NV – PB&Js *

2/8 Salt Lake City, UT – In The Venue *

2/9 Denver, CO – Bluebird Theater *

2/10 Merriam, KS – Aftershock *

2/11 Austin, TX – Sidewinder *

2/12 San Antonio, TX – Korova *

2/13 Houston, TX – Scout Bar *

2/14 Dallas, TX – Trees *

2/15 New Orleans, LA – Siberia *

2/16 Tampa, FL – Orpheum *

2/17 Orlando, FL – The Haven *

2/18 Atlanta, GA – The Masquerade *

2/19 Louisville, KY – Diamond Pub *

2/20 Richmond, VA – Canal Club *

2/21 Raleigh, NC – Pour House %

2/22 Johnson City, TN – Hideaway %

2/23 Memphis, TN – Murphy’s %

2/24 Oklahoma City, OK – Thunder Alley %

2/25 Gallup, NM – Juggernaut %

4/7 San Diego, CA – House of Blues #

4/8 Phoenix, AZ – The Pressroom #

4/9 El Paso, TX – Tricky Falls #

4/10 Albuquerque, NM – Sunshine Theater #

4/12 Dallas, TX – House of Blues #

4/13 San Antonio, TX – The Aztec Theater #

4/15 Houston, TX – House of Blues #

4/16 New Orleans, LA – House of Blues #

4/17 Atlanta, GA – Tabernacle #

4/18 Tampa, FL – The Ritz #

4/20 Charlotte, NC – The Fillmore #

4/21 Silver Spring, MD – The Fillmore #

4/22 New York, NY – PlayStation Theatre #

4/23 Boston, MA – House of Blues #

4/25 Rochester, NY – Water Street Music Hall #

4/26 Burlington, VT – Higher Ground #

4/28 Quebec City, QC – Imperial #

4/29 Montreal, QC – Metropolis #

4/30 Toronto, ON – The Danforth #

5/1 Cleveland, OH – House of Blues #

5/2 Detroit, MI – St. Andrews #

5/4 St. Louis, MO – The Pageant #

5/5 Chicago, IL – The Riviera Theatre #

5/6 Lawrence, KS – The Granada Theater #

5/7 Denver, CO – The Ogden Theater #

5/9 Omaha, NE – Sokol Auditorium #

5/10 Minneapolis, MN – Varsity Theater #

5/12 Winnipeg, MB – The Garrick #

5/13 Saskatoon, SK – O’Brian’s Event Centre #

5/14 Calgary, AB – MacEwan Ballroom #

5/16 Vancouver,BC – The Commodore #

5/17 Seattle, WA – Showbox Market #

5/18 Portland, OR – Roseland Theater #

5/20 San Francisco, CA – The Warfield #

5/21 Los Angeles, CA – The Wiltern Theater #

* with Enforcer, Warbringer & Cauldron

% with Warbringer only

# with Amon Amarth, Entombed A.D.

 

In anticipation of Exmortus’ upcoming tour audiences can check out the band’s ‘Relentless’ Official Live Video online now. It can be viewed via YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OteUwXtg92c.

 

Courtesy: Prosthetic Records

 

Audiences can stream Ride Forth online now via Spotify. After hearing the album, audiences can purchase it in stores or online via Prosthetic Records’ online store, Amazon, iTunes, and Exmortus’ official Bandcamp page. More information on Exmortus’ upcoming tour schedule is available online now along with all of the band’s latest news at:

 

Website: http://www.exmortusmusic.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/exmortusofficial

Twitter: http://twitter.com/exmortusband

 

To keep up with the latest sports and entertainment news and reviews, go online to http://www.facebook.com/philspicks and “Like” it. Fans can always keep up with the latest sports and entertainment news and reviews in the Phil’s Picks blog at https://philspicks.wordpress.com.

Lionsgate, WGN Announce Release Date For Manhattan: Season 2

Courtesy: Lionsgate/WGN America

WGN’s hit period drama Manhattan just wrapped its second season last month. Now fans of the hit serial won’t have to wait very long to own Season 2 for themselves.

Lionsgate announced Monday that Manhattan: Season 2 will be released in stores and online on Tuesday, March 8^th. It will be released on DVD + Digital and Blu-ray + Digital HD. The 3-disc DVD + Digital box set will retail for MSRP of $34.97 and the Blu-ray + Digital HD box set for MSRP of $34.98. Season Two picks up right where Season One left As Season Two opens Charlie Isaacs (Ashley Zuckerman – Terra Nova, Rush, Childhood’s End) is forced into a lead role in the efforts to develop the bomb. As the project proceeds, tensions begin to rise between the military and scientists over who is actually running the project. And the chase is on to stop a Soviet spy who intends to throw a wrench into the project. Frank Winter (John Benjamin Hickey – Flags of Our Fathers, The Bone Collector, Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen) is on the spy’s trail. This and much more will keep audiences fully engaged over the course of Season 2’s ten total episodes.

Along with Hickey and Zuckerman Manhattan also stars Rachel Brosnahan (House of Cards, The Blacklist, Beautiful Creatures), Michael Chernus (Orange is the New Black, Captain Phillips, The Bourne Legacy), Christopher Denham (Argo, Shutter Island, The Following), Justin Kirk (Weeds, Modern Family, Angels in America), Harry Lloyd (The Theory of Everything, Game of Thrones, The Iron Lady), William Petersen (CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, Fear, To Live and Die in L.A.), and Olivia Williams (Dollhouse, The Sixth Sense, Rushmore).

Manhattan: Season 2 will be released in stores and online on Tuesday, March 8^th. It will be released on DVD + Digital and Blu-ray + Digital HD. The 3-disc DVD + Digital box set will retail for MSRP of $34.97 and the Blu-ray + Digital HD box set for MSRP of $34.98. More information on this and other titles from Lionsgate is available online now at:

 

Website: http://www.liosngate.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/LiosngateTV

More information on Manhattan is available online now along with all of the series’ latest news at:

 

Website: http://wgnamerica.com/manhattan

 

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/ManhattanWGNA

Twitter: http://twitter.com/ManhattanWGNA

 

To keep up with the latest sports and entertainment news and reviews, go online to http://www.facebook.com/philspicks and “Like” it. Fans can always keep up with the latest sports and entertainment news and reviews in the Phil’s Picks blog at https://philspicks.wordpress.com.

PBS Kids’ New Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood DVD Is A “Super” New Collection Of Episodes

Courtesy: PBS/PBS Distribution/PBS Kids

Next Tuesday, PBS Kids and PBS Distribution will release the latest collection of episodes from PBS Kids’ family favorite series Daniel Tiger’s Neighrborhood. Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood: Super Daniel will be released Tuesday, February 2nd. The single-disc collection is the series’ tenth to be released since the series originally premiered on PBS Kids a little more than three years ago. This September will mark the series’ fourth anniversary. Much as with its predecessors this DVD offers plenty of enjoyment for kids and adults alike beginning with its featured episodes and their stories. The stories in question are completely relatable for parents and children alike. That is because of the fact that they are just as real in Daniel Tiger’s world as they are in the real world. This will be discussed shortly. The lessons that are taught through each of the featured episodes are just as important to this DVD as the stories. The lessons presented in each of the featured episodes are not the only lessons presented in the DVD. As with most PBS Kids DVDs, this DVD also features extra lessons inside the DVD’s case. In the case of this DVD case is an extra lesson included as bonus material of sorts. It rounds out the DVD’s overall presentation to make the DVD complete. They work together with the DVD’s other noted features to make Daniel Tiger’s latest DVD a *ahem* super new collection of episodes.

PBS Kids’ latest collection of episodes from its family favorite series Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood is a “super” new collection. This is exhibited mainly through the episodes that make up the boy of the DVD. The stories in question continue on the series’ tradition of presenting rea world situations in a fashion that are easily accessible for children yet entertaining enough that even adults will find themselves enjoying them. “Daniel’s Friends Say No” and “Prince Wednesday Doesn’t Want To Play” are prime examples of that accessibility and entertainment offered in these episodes. Both episodes see Daniel facing the situation of his friend wanting to spend time by themselves for once. These episodes mark the first time that the show’s writers had tackled this issue as in every other episode Daniel and his friends are almost always together. The second of the two stories sees not only Daniel but O The Owl facing the prospect of not being included. This shows young audiences that such a situation happens to everyone, not just themselves. Yet it also allows Daniel and O to still play together, thus turning around something bad and making it good. In other words, it ties back in to a previous lesson taught in another episode all while keeping the main story focused. Throughout the course of both episodes, the writers pay special attention to how Daniel and O are told by their friends that they want to play alone. They are not told in a mean or forceful manner. Rather it is told in a gentle yet very childlike fashion. As minor as it seems this element is extremely important to the story’s ability to reach its young audiences. That is because it subtlely emphasizes that Daniel and O’s friends are not being mean. Rather they just want sometimes to play alone. Prince Wednesday and Prince Tuesday even come back over to Daniel and O at the end of “Prince Wednesday Doesn’t Want To Play” to invite them over for a “Friends Day” later. That simple act of kindness is something that every parent tries to instill in his and/or her child(ren). To that extent it is one more way in which the stories presented in this DVD prove to be so important to the DVD’s overall presentation.

On another note, “Daniel Is Big Enough To Help Dad” is another prime example of why the stories featured in these episodes are so important to the DVD’s overall presentation. This episode sees Daniel wanting to be like his dad as his dad works on his playhouse. He wants to use tools and paint just like his dad. Every young child reaches that point where he or she wants to emulate a parent. This critic’s own son is at that age at which he wants to be just like his dad, cooking in the kitchen. So it makes this episode’s story just as relatable especially for adults. What’s more it is an important episode for parents to watch as it shows smart ways to tackle that all important stage of life in which children model their parents. Daniel’s dad doesn’t discourage him. Rather he finds a way that Daniel can help him but do so safely at the same time. It shows just how important this series (and not just this episode) is for adults as it is for children. And it isn’t the only episode featured here that emphasizes the importance of the show’s episodes to all of its audiences. “Daniel Fixes Trolley” proves to be just as important for children and adults as does “Daniel Tries A New Food” and basically every other episode featured here.” Keeping all of this in mind, it should be clear by now just how important the stories presented in each featured episode are to the DVD’s overall presentation. They are just one element of the DVD that makes it so “super,” too. The lessons that are taught throughout the episodes are just as important as the stories featured in each episode.

The stories that are presented in each of the DVD’s featured episodes are in themselves of great importance to the DVD’s overall presentation. Of course they are just one element of the whole that should be noted. The lessons that are presented in the featured episodes are just as important as the episodes’ stories. “Daniel Fixes Trolley” teaches young viewers the important lesson of self-reliance and independence at a basic level. By having Daniel fix his trolley on his own, Daniel’s mom teaches him that he doesn’t need to rely on them for everything. Sure, it’s okay to rely on his parents for somethings. But what she is doing is showing him that at his age, he needs to start doing a little bit on his own. It is an extremely important developmental lesson that audiences of all ages will appreciate and just one example of the importance of the lessons presented throughout this DVD’s featured episodes. “Daniel’s New Friend” teaches a different lesson that is just as important for young viewers as any of the others presented in these episodes. This episode sees Daniel meeting a girl who has what appears to be cerebral palsy. Because of her condition, Daniel keeps trying to help her. But she shows Daniel that she can still do things just fine for herself despite her condition. The lesson is obvious: Just because someone might have a certain condition, paying special attention to that condition is not always the best thing. This applies even when one thinks that going out of one’s way to help is the right thing. In fact sometimes doing just that only makes things worse for all involved. It’s just one more example of how the lessons presented in these episodes prove to be just as important to the DVD’s presentation as the stories presented in each episode. Even as important as they and the other featured lessons are to the DVD’s overall presentation they are not the only important lessons included in this disc. There is also an extra lesson included inside the DVD’s case as bonus material of sorts. They round out the DVD’s most notable elements.

Both the stories presented in this DVD’s episodes and their lessons are of equal importance to the DVD’s overall presentation. While both elements are of equal importance to the DVD’s overall presentation, they are not the DVD’s only notable elements. The bonus lesson included inside the DVD’s case are just as important as those elements. The lesson in question presents adults with a group of ways to encourage children’s imaginary play. At the same time it also notes the importance of imaginary play in children’s social and emotional development, thus making the lesson all the more important to the DVD’s overall presentation. Getting back on the subject at hand, the lesson is taught having children have a dress up box in which they keep capes, crowns, uniforms, jewelry, and much more depending on the situation. The box can hold the costumes and children can pick and choose their costumes of choice. They can even choose costumes to use for a show for family and friends. Another suggestion that is included in the DVD’s bonus lesson is to use familiar objects. It encourages the us of play versions of phones, kitchen tools, cash registers, and much more in conjunction with the costumes in the dress box as part of children’s imaginary play. There is also the suggestion of having parents use puppets that can be made with their children. Whether through the creation and use of said puppets, famlair objects, or for the costume box and costumes, it can be said of all three that each could easily be realistically used to help children in their imaginary play. They are pieces that can be made and used both in the classroom and the living room. And being so easy to make and use, they make the bonus lesson all the more important to the DVD’s bonus lesson. That bonus works in whole with the lessons featured in the DVD’s episodes and their associated stories to make the DVD’s overall viewing experience a truly “super” experience for audiences of all ages.

The overall viewing experience in PBS Kids’ new Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood DVD is a “super” experience to say the very least. That is thanks in large part to the stories that are presented in each of the DVD’s featured episodes. The lessons that are included in each story are just as important to the episodes as their stories. The bonus lesson that is included inside the DVD’s case rounds out the whole thing, completing the DVD’s viewing experience. Each element is important in its own right to the DVD’s overall viewing experience. Altogether, they make the DVD’s overall viewing experience and the DVD in whole simply super. It will be available in stores and online Tuesday, February 2nd. It can be pre-ordered online now direct via PBS’ online store at http://www.shoppbs.org/product/index.jsp?productId=81189156&cp=&sr=1&kw=daniel+tigers+neighborhood+super+daniel&origkw=Daniel+Tiger%27s+Neighborhood+Super+Daniel&parentPage=search. More information on this and other Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood DVDs is available online now along with all of the latest news from the series at:

Website: http://pbskids.org/daniel

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/danieltigertv

To keep up with the latest sports and entertainment reviews and news, go online to http://www.facebook.com/philspicks and “Like” it. Fans can always keep up with the latest sports and entertainment reviews and news in the Phil’s Picks blog at https://philspicks.wordpress.com.

Holy Grail Debuts ‘Crystal King’ Lyric Video

Holy Grail drops its latest full-length studio recording Times of Pride and Peril next month. In anticipation the band has already debuted the lyric video for the single ‘No More Heroes’ and is also in the midst of a multi-city tour. Now along with all of that the band also debuted another new video this week.

The band debuted the lyric video for the song ‘Crystal King’ this week. The song is the opener for the band’s new album. The video presents the lyrics for the song set against a post-apocalyptic backdrop of sorts. There are soldiers firing guns, zombie-like figures, and much more along the way. Some might consider the video slightly NSFW because of the shots of people being shot even in shadow just as a fair warning to viewers. Audiences can view the video online now via YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dVn4ENCIy1w. After checking out the video audiences can pre-order the album online via iTunes, Amazon, and Bandcamp. Exclusive pre-order bundles are also available online via Prosthetic Records’ online store at http://prostheticrecords.limitedrun.com/bands/holy-grail.

 

Courtesy: Prosthetic Records

 

The band is currently touring in support of Times of Pride and Peril. The band is scheduled to perform live tonight in Charlotte, North Carolina. The band’s current tour schedule is noted below.

 

2/23 Charlotte, NC – Milestone #

2/24 Virginia Beach, VA – Shakas # 

2/25 Philadelphia, PA – Kung Fu Necktie #

2/26 Boston, MA – Once Ballroom # 

2/27 Brooklyn, NY – Saint Vitus #

2/29 Burlington, VT – Nectars # 

3/1 Quebec City, QC – Le Cercle #

3/2 Montreal, QC – Foufounes Electriques #

3/3 Toronto, ON – Hard Luck # 

3/4 Detroit, MI – Berserker Fest @ The Masonic Temple #

3/5 Chicago, IL – Reggies # 

3/6 Madison, WI – High Noon Saloon #

3/7 Minneapolis, MN – Triple Rock # 

3/8 Fargo, ND – The Aquarium #

3/9 Winnipeg, MB – The Windsor Hotel #

3/11 Saskatoon, SK – Amigos Cantina # 

3/12 Edmonton, AB – Brixx # 

3/13 Calgary, AB – Palomino # 

3/14 Kamloops, BC – The Office # 

3/16 Vancouver, BC – The Biltmore # 

3/17 Seattle, WA – El Corazon # 

3/18 Spokane, WA – The Pin # 

3/19 Portland, OR – Panic Room #

3/20 Bend, OR – Volcanic Theatre Pub # 

3/22 Santa Cruz, CA – Catalyst # 

3/23 San Francisco, CA – Thee Parkside #

3/24 Los Angeles, CA – Viper Room # 

3/25 San Diego, CA – Brick by Brick # 

3/26 Phoenix, AZ – Pub Rock # 

3/28 Salt Lake City, UT – Metro Bar # 

3/29 Denver, CO – Marquis Theater # 

3/30 Kansas City, MO – Riot Room # 

4/1 Indianapolis, IN – 5th Quarter # 

4/2 Newport, KY – Southgate House #

^ with Marty Friedman

# with Black Tusk

 

More information on Holy Grail is available online now along with the band’s latest news and more at:

Website: http://www.holygrailofficial.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/holygrailofficial

Twitter: http://twitter.com/holygrailband

To keep up with the latest sports and entertainment news and reviews go online to http://www.facebook.com/philspicks and “Like” it. Fans can always keep up with the latest sports and entertainment news and reviews in the Phil’s Picks blog at https://philspicks.wordpress.com.

AHTY’s Debut Re-Issue Is A Welcome Re-Introduction For The Band

Courtesy: Minus Head Records

A little more than three years ago, All Hail The Yeti rose from the wilds of Los Angeles and released its debut self-titled album. The album, released via AFM Records, boasted eleven tracks that completely defied any solid categorization. It is likely because of the inability of critics and audiences to classify the band into one specific sub-genre of the rock world or another that the band has remained just under the mainstream hard rock and metal radar since then. It is a sound that boasts influences from across the rock and metal world including but not limited to: Alice in Chains, Devildriver, Down, Crowbar, and a number of others. Now thanks to Minus Head Records, the band has gotten a new birth and the chance at achieving even more fame. That is because Minus Head Records re-issued All Hail The Yeti this past December. As an added bonus to the eleven songs featured in the original album, Minus Head Records has included three bonus demo tracks in the album’s new re-issue. The combination of those bonuses and the album’s original songs make All Hail The Yeti’s new re-issue an enjoyable re-introduction to the rock realm for the band and an equally solid recording for audiences while they wait for the band’s highly anticipated sophomore album due out this year also via Minus Head Records.

Minus Head Records’ new re-issue of All Hail The Yeti’s 2012 debut self-titled album is an enjoyable re-introduction for the band into the rock realm. It an equally solid recording for audiences to take in while they wait for the band’s highly anticipated sophomore album, which is due out this year via Minus Head Records. This is evident through the album’s mix of musical and lyrical content that cannot be classified into one of the rock realm’s subgenres or another. And that is obvious early on in the album’s run in the song ‘When The Sky Falls.’ In regards to its musical content, this song clearly exhibits influences from the previously noted rock and metal acts that have come before. They do so through the song’s heavy, crunching sludge metal sound. Even in that distinct sound, front man Connor Garrity’s spoken word verses and thundering vocals come together to make a vocal style that is unlike that of most metal front men past or present. The general effect of that standout delivery, when set against the song’s pummeling musical content, is a song that will have every head banging. The song’s musical content is a whole different story. The song’s lyrical content comes across as being from the mind of a rather disturbed individual. Garrity’s subject speaks here saying, “This day will forever change my life/I was lost deep inside my sorrow/Thinking this part of me was gone forever/So much of my heart given only to be taken/I built a shield/To protect what was left/And no one deserved what I have to give.” He goes on to say, “Then one evening/Was it summer or was it fall/Both seasons crashing like waves/Sea sick would not come on this day/No sea sick would not come on this day.” From here, Garrity’s subject goes on to tell the story of having met a woman and basically desiring her quite a bit. The thing is that the things that this subject says leads one to paint a picture of him as being of quite the criminal mind. That mindset is alluded to as Garrity writes, “I wanna take you/Take your soul/There will be no ransom note/Abduct this angel from heaven/Will that send me straight to hell/then burn my body down…I want your lips/And your kiss/I need your skin/And your touch/I crave your smell/And your taste/I will have your heart/And your f***.” It is definitely an interesting picture, needless to say. If it is indeed meant to be a bit shocking, then Garrity has accomplished his goal. Given, it’s not the only shock rock piece ever crafted (if indeed it is a shock rock piece so to speak). Sting’s ‘Every Breath You Take’ was sung from the vantage point of a stalker. But even with this in mind, it still is a piece that will get listeners’ attention. One could even argue that it takes ‘Every Breath You Take’ and take it to a whole new disturbing level. That and the song’s musical content make it a clear example of what makes All Hail The Yeti’s debut self-titled album stand out. It is just one example of what makes this record stand out, too. ‘After The Great Fire’ is another example of what makes All Hail The Yet’s debut self-titled album stand out in today’s metal community.

‘When The Sky Falls’ is a prime example of what makes All Hail The Yeti’s self-titled debut album stand out in today’s metal community. The song’s pummeling musical content set against its rather intriguing lyrical content makes it a song that in itself will definitely leave listeners thinking and talking. It isn’t the only piece that makes an impact in this record. ‘After The Great Fire’ is similar stylistically speaking to ‘When The Sky Falls.’ In terms of its lyrical content, though, it definitely stands out just as much. It is just as dark of a song in regards to its lyrical content as ‘When The Sky Falls’ just in a completely different manner. This song focuses on a fire that took a number of innocent lives. It hints at a fire at a hospital or some building that housed a medical structure. Garrity doesn’t directly note if the story presented in the song was in reference to an actual fire or structure. But its dark lyrical content will definitely make audiences take note. Garrity writes in this song, “Pure evil inside asbestos walls/This great fire raged one hundred feet tall/Taking forty children cradled in its flames/And two dozen women who were said to be blamed.” He goes on to write a rather vivid description of what happened, noting, “There was a surgical stench in the air/It reeked of flesh and burning hair/You hear the cries behind every door/With screams of pain and festered sores.” He notes in the song’s chorus something that comes across as being a supernatural reference, writing, “I hear the spirits come after the great fire/When the children call after the great fire/Inside the smoke they’re born after the great fire/When the children burn after the great fire.” It is a disturbing image. That goes without saying. And it is just as disturbing of a story, especially considering the song’s verses. Even as dark as it is lyrically, one cannot deny Garrity’s ability to really capture listeners’ attention with his writing. Once again, the song’s lyrical content not only stands on its own proverbial feet but it also paints a picture that makes envisioning the story rather easy, even if audiences don’t want to envision said picture. To that extent it proves in its own right what makes All Hail The Yeti’s debut self-titled album stand out in whole. It is not the last piece that serves that argument. ‘Ruby Ridge (Every Knee Shall Bow)’ is one more example of what makes this record stand out.

Both ‘When The Sky Falls’ and ‘After The Great Fire’ are key examples of what makes All hail The Yeti’s debut self-titled album stand out. Their heavy, pummeling musical content coupled with their equally vivid lyrical content make both songs compositions that while being somewhat similar to other metal songs, are just as unlike said offerings. They are just a couple of pieces featured in this record that make it stand out. ‘Ruby Ridge (Every Knee Shall Bow)’ comes later in the album’s run. It is one more example of what makes AHTY stand out. In terms of its musical content, the song is just as pummeling as the songs that come before it. This includes not just ‘When The Sky Falls’ and ‘After The Great Fire’ but each of the other songs not noted here. In regards to its lyrical content, it is wholly about the Ruby Ridge standoff of 1992, going all the way in-depth even noting that the whole thing stemmed from a land dispute between neighbors Randy Weaver and Terry Kinnison. There is also direct note of the outrage at the government agencies involved and the outcome of their actions. Garrity notes in the song that the agencies shut down the whole mountain on which the family lived (which for all intents and purposes is what happened) in order to conduct their operations. The whole thing opens with a taped quote from Randy Weaver recorded after his arrest in which he notes what he expected to happen. That and the story presented in the song make the song yet again a rather vivid story, and one that is true, too. The very fact that few if any other acts out there past or present have ever crafted songs about this infamous even makes the song stand out even more. And because of that it serves to make AHTY stand out in whole even more. Together with ‘When The Sky Falls,’ ‘After The Great Fire,’ and the rest of the album’s songs, the presentation in whole a record that is, once more, a welcome re-introduction for the band into the metal community and an equally solid offering for the metal community as it awaits the All Hail The Yeti’s highly anticipated sophomore album.

Minus Head Records’ re-issue of All Hail The Yeti’s debut self-titled album is a welcome re-introduction for the band into the metal community. It is an equally solid offering for the metal community as it awaits the band’s highly anticipated sophomore album, which is due out sometime this year via Minus Head Records. It is such a surprising recording thanks in large part to its musical content. It mixes elements of sludge metal, metalcore, and pure hard rock for a record that holds its own from beginning to end. The album’s lyrical content is just as important to note. While rather dark, the songs that were penned for the album are rather vivid in their presentations. They paint pictures that even as disturbing as they might be at times, are also quite easy to see. To that extent, the songs’ lyrical content proves to be just as important to this album as its musical content. The combination of both elements makes it an album that will keep listeners engaged from beginning to end. It also makes the album, again, a record that is both a welcome re-introduction for the band and a piece that will keep audiences’ ears as they await the band’s highly anticipated sophomore album later this year. AHTY can be pre-ordered online via the band’s official bandcamp page now at https://ahty.bandcamp.com/album/all-hail-the-yeti-re-issue. More information on All Hail The Yeti’s debut self-titled album is available now online along with all of the band’s latest news at:

Website: http://www.allhailtheyeti.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/officialallhailtheyeti

Twitter: http://twitter.com/allhailtheyeti

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