AHTY’s New Album Will Leave Listeners “Screaming” For More

Courtesy: Minus Head Records

Bow down, metal nation.  All Hail The Yeti has returned.  And it has done so in grand fashion with its long-awaited sophomore album Screams From a Black Wilderness.  The thirteen-song record is a musical offering that proves to be a solid follow-up to the band’s self-titled 2012 debut from beginning to end.  That is thanks both to the song’s powerful musical arrangements and equally engaging campfire horror stories.  Both elements combine within the course of each song to make Screams From a Black Wilderness a record that every metal purist should hear at least once if not more now that it is available.  The album’s opener and lead single ‘Before The Flames’ is a good example of how that mix of music and lyrics makes this record such a solid return for All Hail The Yeti.  ‘Witch Is Dead,’ the album’s midway point, is another piece that exemplifies the power of this record’s musical and lyrical material.  It will be discussed later.  ‘Let The Night Roar’ is one more example of that power.  All three songs, when set against one another, paint a clear picture of the power of the album’s musical and lyrical content.  Together with the rest of the album’s offerings, all thirteen songs make this fifty-nine minute record a collection of songs that is one more of 2016’s top new hard rock and metal records.

Four years removed from the release of its self-titled debut album All Hail The Yeti has returned with a new offering that actually bests that record.  That is proven time and again throughout the course of the album’s thirteen songs and fifty-nine minute run time.  Its opener and lead single ‘Before The Flames’ is proof of that in itself.  This is thanks both to its musical arrangement and its lyrical content.  In regards to the song’s musical content it is a piece that any fan of Hellyeah, Dry Kill Logic, Motionless in White and other acts of that ilk.  The arrangement in question is a mid-tempo composition that is driven largely by its guitar line and drums.  Front man Connor Garritty conjures thoughts of Hellyeah/Mudvayne front man Chad Gray with his vocal delivery.  That adds even more punch to the song’s musical arrangement.  It’s just one part of what makes this song proof of the album’s overall strength.  The song’s lyrical content is just as important to the song as its musical makeup.  Garritty noted in a recent interview that the album’s songs are lyrically based on well-known campfire horror stories.  And the story behind this song is horror, needless to say.  It centers on the story of an orphanage that caught fire and killed all of the children inside.  It would be interesting to discover the roots of the story.  Though, the story of Vermillion’s Gore Orphanage in Ohio seems to line up pretty well with this story.  One part of the story even has the spirits of the children running through the woods, allegedly still on fire, screaming “Help Me” much as Garritty screams “Help Us” Save Us/Fire and flame are surrounding us.”  The little girl telling her parents in a letter (that obviously never made it to them) of how the fire started makes the story even more painful to hear.  That is not to say that there is any truth to the Ohio legend.  But the two stories definitely do sound similar.  Regardless of whether or not a relationship exists between that story and the story behind this song, it can still be said that the combination of the song’s story and its musical arrangement makes this song one of the album’s best and just one example of what makes Screams From a Black Wilderness a solid sophomore effort from All Hail The Yeti and a record that was well worth the wait.

‘Before The Flames’ is a good example of what makes All Hail The Yeti’s long-awaited sophomore album Screams From a Black Wilderness a solid sophomore effort from the Los Angeles, CA-based band.  It shows just as much why the album was well worth the wait.  While it is a good example of both, it is not the only good example of each.  The album’s midpoint, ‘Witch Is Dead,’ is another example of what makes this record stand out.  In terms of its musical content the influences of Dry Kill Logic and Hellyeah are clear and present throughout.  That is especially the case in the song’s chorus in which Garritty and company chant, “Hey, hey the witch is dead/Which old witch/The wicked witch/Hey, hey the wicked witch is dead/Wake up/Your blood runs red/As it drips off of your head/Wake up/The f****** b**** is dead” against the song’s pounding drums and guitars.  The chorus isn’t the only place in which those influences show themselves.  They are just as evident throughout the song’s verses, too.  Speaking of the song’s verses their content sounds pretty violent to say the least.  However one must keep in mind here that ‘Witch Is Dead’, like the album’s other songs, is based on a classic campfire horror story.  Considering this one can only wonder which story was the influence behind the song.  That is because in today’s era it sadly sounds like way too many real life murder stories.  Garrity sings here of a man who has perhaps murdered a woman.  That is inferred as he screams, “It seems like lately there’s no more you and I/Will not take this anymore/I come to judge you f****** w****/I bet you die alone/There is no chance in this life you’re making/All alone/So stop breathing/You sucked up enough.”  That’s just the song’s lead verse, too.  Things don’t’ lighten up any in the song’s second verse.  Garritty’s character screams here, “And now you’re mine/Your hands are tied and you’re squealin’ like a swine/It makes me smile/When I realize that I/Have you where I want you/I always knew it would end like this.”  It gets even harsher in the song’s closing verse.  That verse will be left for audiences to discover for themselves.  But it goes without saying that whichever classic campfire story is the basis for this song, it definitely is a scary one.  And that fear factor, when set against the song’s musical content, makes the song in whole a work that is just as nightmare-inducing as it is entertaining (thanks to its musical content).  As crazy as it might seem, the mix of that fear factor and entertainment factor shows why the song in whole is another good example of what makes Screams From a Black Wilderness such a solid and welcome new return from All Hail The Yeti.  It still is not the album’s only other example, either.  ‘Let The Night Roar’ is one more example of what makes this record such a solid and welcome return for the band.

‘Before The Flames’ and ‘Witch Is Dead’ are both key examples of what makes All Hail The Yeti’s new album a solid and welcome return for the band.  They are just a couple of examples of what makes it so solid and welcome.  ‘Let The Night Roar’ is one more of the album’s strong points.  The song’s musical arrangement sets its foundation.  Its musical arrangement boasts a familiar heavy, chugging sound that is more akin to the likes of Crowbar, Down, and others of that ilk.  In regards to its lyrical content it is obvious right from the song’s opening verse that the song is centered on the Jonestown Massacre.  That is because Garritty screams right in the opening lines, “They were told to line up/And drink the glass of Flavor-Aid…would send them to an early grave.”  He even makes light of Jones having a hurried, agitated sense about him when he told his followers to drink the juice and commit suicide, as soldiers were coming.”  This depiction is spot on according to the story of what happened at Jonestown.  What’s really scary here is that the band even gives voice to Jones’ followers as they tell Jones that they drink to make him happy.  The way in which Garritty and company sing those lines makes the story so sad.  That is because of the knowledge that they had been completely brainwashed by that madman.  It also incorporates what can only be assumed to be audio of Jones talking to his followers in the course of the song in order to heighten the song’s impact.  It does just that, too.  That heightened impact, when set against the song’s heavy, chugging musical arrangement, once again shows why this composition is one of the album’s strongest points.  When set alongside the likes of ‘Witch Is Dead’ and ‘Before The Flames’ all three songs join together to paint a very scary picture in the best way possible.  They paint a picture of an album that will entertain listeners once more just as much as it will scare them with each of its songs’ stories.  This applies just as much with the album’s remaining songs not noted here.  All things considered the musical and lyrical material that makes up the body of this record shows it in whole to be a record that is a solid, welcome return from All Hail The Yeti and also one of the best new hard rock and metal albums of the year.

All Hail The Yeti’s new album Screams From a Black Wilderness is a solid, welcome return from the Los Angeles, CA-based metal outfit.  It is also one of this year’s top new hard rock and metal records.  That is thanks to stories that real or imagined are the stuff of nightmares.  The musical foundation set by the song’s arrangements adds even more impact to the album.  This applies not only to the songs noted in this review but to every one of the album’s featured offerings.  All things considered Scenes From a Black Wilderness proves to be a solid, welcome return for All Hail The Yeti and one of the year’s top new hard rock and metal offerings.  It is a record that will leave audiences and other bands bowing to the band as one of the metal community’s next big names.  It is available now and can be downloaded direct online via iTunes and Amazon.  More information on Screams From a Black Wilderness is available online now along with all of the band’s latest news and more at:

 

 

Website: http://www.allhailtheyeti.com

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

Twitter: http://twitter.com/allhailtheyeti

 

 

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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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Symmetry In Black Is A Welcome Return From Crowbar

Courtesy: eOne Music

2014 has been quite the year for hard rock and metal.  New releases from the likes of Anti-Mortem, Fozzy, and Wovenwar have already highlighted an already busy year.  And new releases on the way from Machine Head, Exodus, and Slipknot before the year lets out are giving metalheads the world over even more reason to be excited.  If that’s not enough reason for the metal masses to be happy this year, then perhaps the latest full length studio release from Crowbar will excite some members of the metal nation.  The band released Symmetry in Black late this spring via eOne Music.  This latest record, the band’s ninth, presents some of the band’s best material to date.  One reason for the quality and heaviness of the songs on this record is the full focus of guitarist Kirk Windstein.  Having put his other projects on the side so as to give full focus to Crowbar, he sounds at the top of his game.  And along with his band mates—Matt Brunson (guitar), Tommy Buckley (drums), and Jeff Golden (bass)—the work of the New Orleans-based four-piece presents a band that is at the top of its collective game.  The songs on this album are impressive not just for their heaviness, but for their lyrical content.  The album’s opener ‘Walk With Knowledge Wisely’ is proof of that.  The same can be said of ‘Teach The Blind To See,’ which comes late in the album’s run.  ‘A Wealth of Empathy’ offers its own interesting lyrical content set against some rather heavy riffs, too.  The combination of this trio of just these three works shows how much Crowbar still has to offer audiences even today.  There are nine other songs on this record from which audiences can choose their own favorite(s).  In listening through those tracks and the songs noted here, audiences new and old alike will agree again that Symmetry in Black proves to be Crowbar’s best full length studio release to date.

Crowbar’s ninth full length studio release is some of the band’s best work to date as already noted. That is evident right off the top in the album’s opener ‘Walk With Knowledge Wisely.’ This song is a pure, heavy slab of southern sludge metal. Vocalist/guitarist Kirk Windstein is at the top of his game here, having put his other projects on the back burner for the time being. That pure, heavy sound set against the song’s thought provoking lyrics make it a hard-hitting return for the band. Windstein writes in this song, “My will cannot be broken/Cause when I rot I crawl back from the dead/I am the living proof/That you can right what is wrong in your head/The weak can always overcome/But only if they burn with desire.” Those few lines alone are empowering to say the very least. Their juxtaposition against the song’s dark, heavy sound makes them even more impactful. They become two polar opposites that together make a clear statement of determination and its payoff. As if that wasn’t enough of an example of the song’s message, Windstein goes on to write, “I am the living proof/That a soul can burn a thousand times/Accept what God has given you/And you’ll find the answer all around.” Don’t mistake that lien for Crowbar being a “Christian Band.” That’s hardly the case. It is simply Windstein and his band mates hammering home the fully positive message that it is possible to overcome so much of life’s negativity and difficulty. What better way to return after three years than with such a powerful musical and lyrical statement?

‘Walk With Knowledge Wisely’ is a powerful first statement from Crowbar on its new release. That’s because of the mix of its heavy sound and empowering lyrics. On the other side of things, a song such as ‘Teach The Blind To See’ will raise just as much conversation. That is thanks in large part to its lyrical content. Windstein writes in this song, “So many years so many words/Bringing honesty to you/Just follow me/You won’t regret/It’s what I do/I don’t forget/I’ll lead you to the truth.” One the one hand, one could argue that this is meant to be a social commentary of sorts. It could potentially be aimed at religious leaders whether they come from organized religion or from cults. The message would pretty much be the same regardless in that case. Making for even more conversation, Windstein goes on to write, “Know I’m not the enemy/I can teach the blind to see/Too many tears too many wounds/Bringing healing to the ill/Just follow me/You won’t regress/I’m giving life, I’m giving breath/At times it’s hard, at times I’m blind/But I bring new life to you/And in the end/That’s what is real/Cause agony will make you feel/Into freedom I lead you.” It goes without saying that this makes for even more discussion. It would be interesting to know for certain the inspiration for this song. Regardless, the fact that it has the potential to create so much discussion combined with its pummeling musical heaviness makes it one more of the best pieces on this album.

Both ‘Walk With Knowledge Wisely’ and ‘Teach The Blind To See’ are important in their own right to Symmetry in Black in terms of its overall presentation. Musically, both songs are extremely heavy. Lyrically speaking, they couldn’t be more opposite from one another. One is empowering. The other seems something of a commentary. So both songs present their own value to the album in whole. They just do so in their own way. The same can be said of ‘A Wealth of Empathy.’ Much like the album’s opener, this song presents a rather positive message of hope set against a rather heavy musical side that directly contrasts its lyrical side. Windstein writes in this song of overcoming all of the negativity thrown out in life. One could actually argue in the case of this song that it is in its own right a companion to ‘Walk With Knowledge Wisely’ as that song discussed trying to overcome said difficulties and negativity in life. This piece goes more in an introspective direction, with Windstein looking back on those difficulties and negativity, declaring that he has overcome them. He writes here, “I can’t explain my suffering/But I have lived through misery/My faith will pull me through/And bring to me new life/No need for sympathy/I’ve overcome/My strife/No longer feeling cold/The mind grows wise as we grow old.” That is quite the hopeful statement. And as with the album’s opener, such statement set against the song’s foreboding musical element, it makes for an even more powerful statement of personal emotional strength. That overall impact makes this song one of the highest of points on this record. Together with ‘Walk With Knowledge Wisely,’ ‘Teach The Blind To See,’ and the album’s remaining nine tracks, they make up an album that is one that any long-time fan of Crowbar will thoroughly enjoy.

Whether it be for the album’s more inspirational songs such as the pair mentioned here or for others that make up this record, every fan of Crowbar will find their own reason to enjoy this new record. It is available now in stores and online. Fans can get more info on this and other releases from Crowbar as well as the latest updates from the band online at:

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

Twitter: http://twitter.com/crowbarrules

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Rocklahoma Organizers Announce New Ticket Package

Courtesy: Ashton Magnuson Media

Organizers of the annual Rocklahoma concert festival announced this week that they will make available a new ticket package for audiences.

The new Zippo Encore Fan Package For Two will be available beginning next Tuesday, March 18^th at 1pm ET/12pm CT.  The package includes:

• Two (2) Weekend General Admission Tickets (inclusive of all service charges and fees)
• Meal vouchers (two per day)
• Two (2) Official Festival Zippo Lighters
• One (1) one-year subscription to Revolver Magazine.

Tickets can be ordered online at the official Rocklahoma website, http://www.rocklahoma.com.

Also on March 18^th, ticket prices both for general admission tickets and general admission 4-packs will increase.  General admission tickets currently are available for a price of $109 plus fees.  Beginning March 18^th, that price will increase to $129 plus fees.  Weekend 4-pack General Admission packs will increase from $349 plus fees to $399 plus fees.  This takes effect beginning at 1pm ET/12pm CT.

Members of the military can get discounted tickets for the Rocklahoma festival online at http://www.govx.com.  Prices for those tickets will also increase March 18^th at 1pm ET/12pm CT.

The new ticket package and price increases are not all that organizers announced this week for the annual festival.  Organizers also announced the return of the “Miss Rocklahoma” contest.  The contest runs through April 18^th.  Ten finalists will be announced in late April online at http://www.rocklahoma.com.  Contestants and fans can register and vote online at http://www.rocklahoma.com.

The complete lineup for this year’s edition of the Rocklahoma Festival is:  Kid Rock, Five Finger Death Punch, Staind, Twisted Sister, Deftones, Seether, Motörhead, Jackyl, Filter, Black Label Society, Theory of a Deadman, Killswitch Engage, Skid Row, Tom Keifer of Cinderella, Hellyeah, Kix, Down, Pop Evil, Adelitas Way, Black Stone Cherry, Trivium, Texas Hippie Coalition, The Pretty Reckless, Thousand Foot Krutch, Redlight King, Skindred, KYNG, We As Human, Nothing More, Devour the Day, Heaven’s Basement, Gemini Syndrome, Butcher Babies, Eve to Adam, Truckfighters, Scorpion Child, Twelve Foot Ninja, Kill Devil Hill, Killer Dwarfs, Mandy Lion, Bai Bang, Lynam, ASKA, Black Tora, Firstryke, Mystery, Nasty Habit, Sleepy Hollow, Wicked, Down & Dirty, Loveblast, Ruff Justice, Ratchet Dolls, Ragdoll, Dellacoma, Chaotic Resemblance, Scattered Hamlet, Siren, Mach22, Tempt, London’s Dungeon, Mine Enemies Fall, Station, The Chimpz, Sleepwalking Home, Well Hung Heart, Framing The Red, Blackwater Rebellion, Dryvr, Jet West and Dirty Crush.

The annual Rocklahoma Festival is sponsored by Bud Light, U.S. Cellular, Jagermeister, Monster Energy, Hard Rock Casino, Route 66 RVs, and Jack Daniels.

More information on the annual Rocklahoma Festival is available online at http://www.rocklahoma.com, http://www.facebook.com/rocklahoma and http://twitter.com/rocklahoma.  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.

ROTR Organizers Announce Early Details For 2014 Festival

Courtesy: MSO PR

The 2013 edition of the annual Rock on the Range festival was one of the biggest that organizers of the annual event have ever experienced.  2013 saw the annual event completely sell out.  Seeing the success that the festival had in 2013, festival organizers have announced that the festival will now expand to three full days this year. The festival, which will run from May 16^th – May 18^th this year, will be headlined by three very big name acts.  Those acts are Guns N’ Roses, Avenged Sevenfold, and Kid Rock.

While the trio of aforementioned bands will headline the once again expanded festival (last year saw the festival expand to three nights) are big names in themselves, they won’t be the only bands to perform at this year’s show.  Also scheduled to perform this year are: Seether, Five Finger Death Punch, Slayer, Staind, Motorhead, Chevelle, Alter Bridge, Mastodon, Black Label Society and Killswitch Engage among many others.  The complete lineup of bands scheduled to perform at this year’s ROTR Festival is listed below.

2014 ROCK ON THE RANGE BAND LINEUP

Guns N’ Roses, Avenged Sevenfold, Kid Rock, Five Finger Death Punch, Slayer, Staind, Motorhead, Seether, Chevelle, Alter Bridge, Mastodon, Black Label Society, Killswitch Engage, Bring Me The Horizon, Theory of a Deadman, Down, Black Stone Cherry, Jason Bonham’s Led Zeppelin Experience, Pop Evil, Of Mice & Men, Adelitas Way, Trivium, Gojira, Suicidal Tendencies, The Pretty Reckless, We Came as Romans, Fuel, Redlight King, Miss May I, Reignwolf, Thousand Foot Krutch, Texas Hippie Coalition, Rev Theory, Skindred, Kyng, Fozzy, Heaven’s Basement, Butcher Babies, Nothing More, Exodus, King 810, Devour the Day, We As Human, We Are Harlot, Kvelertak, Jim Breuer Band, One OK Rock, Twelve Foot Ninja, Avatar, WERM, Monster Truck, Wilson, Crobot and Truckfighters with comedians Jim Breuer, Jim Florentine and more.

Audiences will note that along with the lineup up some of the biggest names in the rock world, this year’s festival also boasts the return of the ROTR Comedy Tent.  Jim Breuer, Jim Florentine, and a number of up-and-coming comedians will perform at the ROTR Comedy Tent.

Weekend passes including Field General Admission, Stadium General Admission, hotel and VIP packages and a stadium four-pack go on sale Friday, January 24^th at 10am ET.  More ticket information is available online at http://www.RockOnTheRange.com.  Additional information and updates on this year’s festival is available online at http://www.facebook.com/rockontherange and http://twitter.com/rockontherange.  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.

Hard Rock Supergroup’s Sophomore Record A Solid Second Effort

Courtesy: Century Media Records

Kill Devil Hill released in its second full length album last year, what proved to be one of 2013’s best Hard Rock/Metal albums.  The hard rock supergroup’s sophomore album is, as the old adage states, all killer and no filler.  What really makes this album so enjoyable for any purist metal head and hard rocker is that it is another of those albums that both new audiences and those that are more familiar with the band’s music will enjoy.  It is one of those albums that eventually will lead listeners to find their own favorite songs over time.  And over time, none of the eleven tracks from which listeners are offered ever lose their luster.  This is obvious right from the album’s opener, ‘No Way Out,’

‘No Way Out’ opens Kill Devil Hill’s second full length studio effort.  This song is a straight forward radio-ready rock song that any open-minded radio programmer will appreciate.  Guitarist Mark Zavon and drummer Vinny Appice (Black Sabbath, Dio, Heaven & Hell) drive the song with their full throttle attack.  And bassist Rex Brown’s (Down, Pantera) grinding bass line late in the song gives the song even more depth.  It gives it more of a punch for lack of better wording.  Vocalist Dewey Bragg (Pissing Razors) can’t be ignored here, either.   His vocal style could easily be compared to a number of other well-known rock vocalists as he sings, “Infected by the power of corruption/Put out your fires with gasoline/No respect for the trust you’ve betrayed/You’re headed for the end of the line/Step by step…Justice will be served/The house of cards comes crashing down/Salvation at the end of the line.”  Bragg and company make no bones as to the message being sent here.  Here, audiences get a song about those that let power get the better of themselves.  This is made increasingly clear as Bragg sings in the song’s first verse, “Blinded by the fog of deception/Can’t you see that they’re selling you lies/Getting rich off the profits of others/Freedom’s well runs dry.”  This illustrates even more the topic covered in this song.  And it’s only the beginning from Kill Devil Hill on this album, too.

Another of the interesting points of Revolution Rise comes in the form of ‘Long Way From Home.’  This semi-acoustic song bears quite the Black Label Society.  As a matter of fact, it sounds like it could have come from the recording sessions for Hangover Music Vol. VI.  It obviously didn’t.  But its more reserved sound and introspective lyrics make for a welcome momentary break from the rest of the high octane songs that precede it on this record.  Bragg sings on this song, “Seems like only yesterday/How did I drift so far away/A prisoner of the distant sands of time/The damage done from days gone by/A tangled knot/We can’t untie/Memories we left so far behind/I’m a long way from home now/I’ve been gone so long/Will I ever find a way back to where I belong.” The song crafted here is obviously one of looking back on the past.  This is increasingly obvious in the song’s second verse as he sings, “Would the past forgive me now/If I could travel back somehow/Across the miles/Down that old familiar road/Chasing the stars with no regret/A darkened heart I still can’t forget/The little things we loved so long ago.”  There are those that might instantly say of this song that it’s just a standard song of self-loathing.  But the reality is that everybody has had a moment quite similar to the one (or ones) portrayed in this song.  Some will deny it.  But we have all had at least one such moment.  That ability of the song to reach so many listeners makes it one more of the many great songs that make up Revolution Rise.

Kill Devil Hill offers its fans plenty of reasons to be happy on its new album.  That has already been evidenced in just two examples of the album’s tracks.  For all of its commentary and personal, even Kill Devil Hill isn’t exempt from the standard songs based in issues of personal relationships.  In ‘Endless Static’, Bragg seemingly sings about the kind of lying backstabber that so many listeners have encountered at one point or another in life.  Again, here audiences get another song to which they can easily relate.  And the song’s energy only makes it that much more hard-hitting.  He sings, “Lately I’ve been hearing/You’ve been talkin’ smack/And smilin’ to my face all the while/You’re tellin’ stories like a common crook/As if it all rings true/But I see right through it/Screaming is so dramatic/Dreaming is in the static/All this make-believing makes me laugh out loud/Hiding behind your smile/Drowning in sweet denial…Why can’t you find the guts to say it to my face/Instead of hiding out behind the lies/The truth is I don’t even give a damn/The face of your deception/It’s your reflection.”  No one can deny that they have ever encountered such a person as the one described here.  And everyone can agree that they, too have felt the same kind of anger and aggression toward said person that is presented here.  It’s one more of so many songs that make Revolution Rise a record that any purist hard rock fan will appreciate.

Kill Devil Hill recently finished off a busy tour to finish off 2013.  But fans can always keep up with the latest tour announcements, news, and more from the band on its official website, http://www.killdevilhillmusic.com.  Fans can also go here to order the band’s new album while they wait on the next announcement of new tour dates from the band.  Fans can also get the latest tour dates, news, and more from the band on its official Facebook page, http://www.facebook.com/killdevilhillmusic.  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.comm.

Kill Devil Hill Announce First Wave Of Dates For Fall/Winter Tour

Courtesy: Century Media/Century Media Records

Hard rock supergroup Kill Devil Hill is hitting the road in support of its second full length studio release, Revolution Rise.  The band—Rex Brown (bass), Vinny Appice (drums), Dewey Bragg (vocals), Mark Zavon (guitar)–kicks off its Fall/Winter tour Saturday, October 26^th in Ramona, California.  The kickoff comes only three days before the official release of the band’s new record, which will be released via Century Media Records.  The majority of the band’s tour will take the band down the west coast and into the Southwest.  However, the last six current dates on the band’s itinerary will take the band into the Midwest.  A full listing of the band’s most current tour dates is available below.

KILL DEVIL HILL 

(with EYES SET TO KILL, GIRL ON FIRE & BLACK WATER RISING):

OCTOBER:

26: Ramona, CA – Ramona Mainstage * / **

27: Fullerton, CA – Slidebar **

28: Chico, CA – Lost On Main **

29: West Hollywood, CA – Roxy Theatre **

31: Tucson, AZ – The Rock **

NOVEMBER

01: Tempe, AZ – Club Red * / **

02: Las Vegas, NV – LVCS ***

03: Salt Lake City, UT – In The Venue

05: Seattle, WA – El Corazon

06: Portland, OR – Hawthorne Theater

07: Walnut Creek, CA – Red House Live ***

10: Flagstaff, AZ – Orpheum Theatre ***

11: Gallup, NM – Gallup Community Center ***

13: Austin, TX – Dirty Dog ***

14: Houston, TX – Scout Bar

17: Oklahoma City, OK – The Chameleon Room ***

19: Minneapolis, MN – Skyway Theater ***

20: Appleton, WI – Luna Lounge ***

21: Battle Creek, MI – Planet Rock ***

22: Mentor On The Lake, OH – Tequila Jaxx ***

23: Steger, IL – Another Hole In The Wall

 

* no EYES SET TO KILL

** no GIRL ON FIRE

*** no BLACK WATER RISING

 

More tour dates will be announced as the tour progresses.  Fans can keep up with those tour dates and all the latest from the band online at http://www.killdevilhillmusic.com/tourdates, http://www.killdevilhillmusic, http://www.facebook.com/killdevilhillmusic, and http://twitter.com/klldvlhll.

Exclusive VIP packages are available now.  The packages include early admission to soundcheck, the show, a meet and greet with the band, a VIP laminate, t-shirt and autographed 8X10 of the band.

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.

Anselmo’s Solo Debut One Of 2013’s Most Brutal Metal Records

Courtesy: Housecore Records

Philip H. Anselmo has returned.  And along with his band mates in The Illegals, he has never sounded more intense.  There are those that upon hearing this album have instantly tried to compare this record to Anselmo’s work with Pantera, Down, and Superjoint Ritual.  Here’s the thing.  Anselmo’s solo debut is nothing like the work that he did with those bands.  He even noted in an interview concerning the record that he wanted to do something completely different.  Go figure, the opening number on this record is titled, ‘Music Media Is My Whore.’  And the very fact that the album’s title is Walk Through Exits Only should tell listeners right off the bat that he intended to do something completely different than he had previously done on this record.  That would seem to be the point of the album’s title at least.

Those that can let themselves get past the expectations of this album being more of what he has done before will appreciate it for what it is.  It is a record that mixes elements of death metal and grindcore to make a work that simply put, is brutal.  While it only consists of eight tracks, all eight songs on this album are sure to impress those that are open minded enough to accept them.  Drummer Jose Manuel Gonzalez manages his duties with the power and precision of a jackhammer.  And guitarist Marzi Montazeri is just as sharp whether soloing or playing his role as guitarist.  The only comparison that can possibly be made to that of Montazeri here is Slipknot guitarist Mick Thompson (#6).  On a side note, it would be interesting to hear the two perform or record together.  Along with bassist Bennett Bartley, the quartet’s metal onslaught is complete throughout the course of the album’s eight tracks.

The musical side of Walk Through Exits Only is certain to impress those that are open minded enough to accept Anselmo’s new project for the departure that it is.  The time signatures are all over the map.  There are straight speed metal songs placed alongside more technical pieces.  A prime example of this is the placement of ‘Usurper Bastard’s Rant’ being bookended by ‘Betrayed’ and the album’s title track.  ‘Usurper Bastard’s Rant’ is one of the album’s more technical songs.  It helps to break up the momentum of the other pairing of songs, keeping listeners’ ears much more easily. The other songs have more of a thrash/speed metal vibe that is certain to make any purist metal head proud.  This is just one of a handful of examples that runs through the album’s sequencing.  Audiences will find even more examples of that balance on their own in picking up this record.  Speaking of balance, credit where credit is due.  The balance of the music and vocals add to the album’s brutality. 

 The production values on this record deserve their credit, too.  Anselmo co-produced the record alongside Mike Thompson.  And the partnership between the pair played a major role in the album’s success.  There is a certain power about the record all the way around.  Anselmo’s vocals and the output from his band mates are balanced quite well, allowing all involved to really come through.  The total output is a sound that while it carries influences from other bands, is still its own.  And it is that identity that will ultimately show through and make this a record that any metal head and any devoted Phil Anselmo fan will appreciate in the end.  It is available now in stores and online.  Fans will get their chance to see the band perform songs from the album live, too.  The band will perform Wednesday, July 31^st at Cain’s Ballroom in Tulsa, Oklahoma.  That performance will be followed up by a performance at Wooly’s in Des Moines, Iowa this Friday, August 2^nd.  All of the latest tour dates from Philip H. Anselmo and The Illegals are available now online at http://www.facebook.com/phillipillegals and Anselmo’s official website, http://www.philanselmo.com. 

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.

KingShifter’s Debut LP Takes The Top Spot As 2013’s Top New Hard Rock Record

Courtesy: Pavement Entertainment/Pavement Music

2013 has been a good year for hard rock and metal.  New releases from the likes of Holy Grail, Black Sabbath, and Sevendust have made this a great year for the metal masses the world over.  Now with the release of its debut full length LP via Pavement Entertainment, Wichita, Kansas based KingShifter has just made the hard rock landscape that much more interesting.

KingShifter’s debut full length release, 26 Tons is an aptly titled record.  This eleven-track record is a heavy-hitting wrecking ball of hard rock.  From start to finish the album’s energy lets up only once.  That one time is in the near minute and a half acoustic piece, ‘.00125 lbs. (The Year of the Rat).  Other than that single moment, every other song on this record makes it one of the best debut records from a rock band (either mainstream or indie) in a very long time.  Its combination of hard hitting guitar licks, drums, and equally scathing lyrics make it a record that any purist metal head will appreciate.  And it all starts early on in the form of, ‘Revolution Generation.’  Front man Sprout sings about what’s happening to the country today.  From the epidemic of companies and doctors working together to sell their drugs, to the issue of school violence, Sprout runs the gamut.  Along the way he and his band mates wave a defiant musical flag declaring, “If we don’t do anything now/We’re soon to be doomed/We’ve got to stand strong/We shall not be moved/We are Americans/And we have proof/That we survived/The taxes, fiscal cliffs, and all of the wars/We’re here to tell you now/We won’t take it anymore!”  The song’s declaration of pride and self-empowerment is a call to arms and an anthem for a whole new generation.  And given the right support, could very well be the opening salvo in what breaks this band into the mainstream.

If ‘Revolution Generation’ isn’t enough example of what makes this a solid debut from KingShifter, then perhaps the equally hard rocking and defiant (yet far shorter) ‘STFU (& Die Already)’ will.  This punk styled piece comes in at just under two minutes long.  In that short time, this song hits just as hard as ‘Revolution Generation’ and any of the album’s other songs.  It is an intense song that goes after the news media—Sprout sings, “Television/I wanna burn it down”—and all of the negativity that clots television today.  In connection, he notes in no uncertain terms the effect that television has on people and his displeasure on the matter.

KingShifter’s debut record has plenty of social commentary and hard rock.  For all the commentary that it offers, there is some lighter material on this record, too.  Case in point, ‘Downin’ Booze – Raisin’ Hell.’  This song is a party song.  It’s an anthem for the blue collar workers across the country.  The influence from hard rock supergroup HellYeah is quite obvious both lyrically and musically in this song.  This is clear in the song’s second verse as Sprout sings, “I’ve been inside/Of this dirty cage/Locked inside for five whole days/I’ve gotta ease my mind/And leave that bulls*** behind/This ******’s gonna go on a rage!”  With such high energy lyrics and equally high energy music, this song is more than certain to become just one of so many fan favorites and fan anthems both on KingShifter’s record and at its live shows. 

The songs noted here are just a few examples of what listeners can expect from Kingshifter’s upcoming debut record.  There is much more that audiences will appreciate throughout the album.  So much more could be written of 26 Tons.  But to do so would require more time and space than is available.  Simply put, given the chance by radio programmers and by Pavement Entertainment, 26 Tons could make Kingshifter one of the next big names in hard rock.  The album will be available in stores and online Tuesday, September 3^rd.  Fans can hear just some of the band’s music now online at the band’s official Reverb Nation page, http://www.reverbnation.com/kingshifter.  There’s even a music video from the band on its page, too.  Audiences can also check out the band’s music on its official MySpace page, http://www.myspace.com/kingshifter.  And to keep up with all of the latest news from the band, fans can follow the band on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/KingShifterRock and on its official website, http://www.kingshifter.com. 

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.

Phillip Anselmo Announces Debut Solo LP, Tour Dates

Courtesy: Housecore Records/Herfitz PR

Philip Anselmo will release his first ever solo album on Tuesday, July 16^th.  The Down front man and former Pantera and Superjoint Ritual front man will release Walk Through Exits Only on his own label, Housecore Records.  The label is an imprint of MRI/Megaforce.  Anselmo’s solo debut was co-produced by Anselmo and Michael Thompson.  The material for the record had been recorded over the past couple of years at Anselmo’s New Orleans studio, Nodferatu’s Lair with his band, The Illegals (Marzi Montazeri—guitar, and Jose Manuel “Blue Gonzales—drums). 

Anselmo discussed the album in a recent interview.  He explained in the course of the interview that in writing and recording it, he didn’t want it to sound like so much fare that comprises the metal community today.  He explained that it is as straight forward as a metal record can be.  “It wasn’t about doing a paint-by-numbers thrash or heavy metal record,” he said.  “It’s an angry album that only I could do.  I don’t see anybody else out there screaming about the same shit I’m screaming about.  On this album, there isn’t any wordplay, there isn’t any hidden message, it’s all right there in front of you.” 

A tour is already set in support of the upcoming album.  It will begin on Wednesday, July 31^st at Cain’s Ballroom in Tulsa, OK.  The current slate of tour dates is available below.  To keep up with all of the latest updates on Anselmo’s tour and more, audiences can go online to http://www.facebook.com/philipanselmo and “Like” it. 

JULY

31   Cain’s Ballroom, Tulsa, OK

 

AUGUST

 2   Wooly’s, Des Moines, IA

 3   First Avenue, Minneapolis, MN

 4   House of Blues, Chicago, IL

 6   House of Blues, Cleveland, OH

 7   The Intersection, Grand Rapids, MI

 9   Royal Oak Music Theatre, Royal Oak, MI

10   Danforth Music Hall, Toronto, ONT Canada

11   Heavy MTL Festival, Montreal, QC Canada

13   The Palladium, Worcester, MA

14   Upstate Concert Hall, Clifton Park, NY

16   Best Buy Theatre, New York, NY

17   Union Transfer, Philadelphia, PA

18   The Fillmore, Silver Spring, MD

20   The Masquerade – Heaven Stage, Atlanta, GA

 

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.