Now! - Chris DeWuske

Transcription

The Darkness
photo by Scott Nathanson
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Table Of Contents
Features
Elisium
Quickly rising to the scene, Elisium shares
their influences and talks about their followup album. BY MATTHEW PASHALIAN ........... 8
Artist-on-Artist Feature
Local band Scars Of Life interviews Endo, who
has recently reformed and started touring.
BY MATTHEW PASHALIAN ............................. 18
Dark New Day
Vocalist Brett Hestla sits down to discuss
the lost album Hail Mary.
BY MATTHEW PASHALIAN .......................... 24
Live Reviews
............................................ 6
Emilie Autumn ...................................................
Grace Potter and the Nocturnals ....................... 16
In Flames ........................................................... 16
Sunshine Blues Festival
The Tedeschi Trucks Band, The Funky
Biscuits, Joe Louis Walker, and lots of
photos to boot. ................................................... 30
CD Reviews ......................................................36
Like SFL Onstage on Facebook to stay up-to-date
with all the latest South Florida music news!
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photos by Sayre Berman
Managing Editor: Matt Pashalian / [email protected]
Copy Editor: Sayre Berman
Layout Artist: Chris DeWuske
Contributors: Norrel Blair • Shirenna Edmonson • Christopher Zambello
Jennifer Sobek • Todd McFliker • Joseph Hasbrouck • Robert Bernhardt • Scott Nathanson
Mikayla Davis • Jay Skolnick • Alex Markow • Tony Landa • Dante Stone • Jeff Noller
Visit us at www.sflonstage.com!
photos by Sayre Berman
Emilie Autumn
Revolution Live
Ft. Lauderdale, FL
Monday, January 21, 2013
Celebrities are often influential role models for their fans. Emilie Autumn is no exception. I had done some research prior to
the show and I was intrigued by the classical violinist. Some would call her a freak,
others a genius. I call her entertaining and
I’m sure her growing legion of fans would
agree.
Fans love her for her originality. She admits to being bipolar and has indicated that
her creativity stems from her “dark side.”
Autumn’s fans can relate...they appreciate
the candor. Most importantly, they trust in
her. At her shows they can be themselves
without fear of rejection or shame.
Her shows are notorious for girl-on-girl
kissing, but I didn’t find it overly sexual. If I
had to give it a rating, it would be PG. The
costumes were a little risqué but there was
no nudity. The entire 90-minute show gave
me the feeling that I was in Paris being entertained in a local cabaret. Emilie’s singing
was pure and passionate as if each note was
coming straight from her heart. Her eyes
showed true emotion; fear, love and sorrow.
I think that it’s these qualities that her fans
relate to and why they love her so much. I
was a little disappointed that she didn’t play
one note on her violin, something that I was
looking forward to. That being said, I still
found the show very entertaining and I will
be back to see her again!
—Christopher Zambello
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photos by Scott Nathanson
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ELISIUM
by Matthew Pashalian
With a music industry that’s getting tougher and tougher to crack by the
day, independent artists are taking matters into their own hands. From
recording albums and shooting videos to booking their own tours, selfpromotion and press, the modern musician must wear many hats. Former
South Floridians Elisium are one of the many bands wearing these hats,
quickly making a name for themselves throughout the country with their
hard-rocking sounds. Not unlike Tool and Chevelle, this technique is
quickly drawing in new Elisium fans in droves. On their way to record a
follow-up their massive Becoming EP, we got the trio that is Elisium to sit
down with us to discuss their quickly rising star in the independent ranks
and to tell us what to expect from them in the new year. Sit back and
check out Elisium!
For those who haven’t heard of Elisium, let’s give our readers a bit
of a back story and introduction on the band.
Nate Compton: Elisium started as a 4 piece in 2004, our lead guitarist left
to pursue other projects and we become a 3 piece of all brothers. Our
drummer departed in 2008, and we started working with our current
drummer, Nate Thomas (who we call “junior”). We went on tour immediately after he joined the band. It was pretty crazy and it’s been a whirlwind ever since!
Wow, for a while you guys were almost a band of brothers like
Chevelle. So Nate and Corey, you are the remaining two related
band members. Some say it’s tough to be in a band with a sibling,
how do you guys deal with it. Have you always gotten along or has
there been some rivalry along the way?
Corey Compton: We get that comparison quite often. We certainly share
many musical qualities and even interpersonal qualities with those guys,
and to be compared to a band of that caliber is always a fantastic compliment! I would say that we are of the lucky breed of brothers that get along
regardless of circumstance. There are highs and lows, as in all things, but I
think one of the core reasons this band works so well together is because
we are all so close. Barring any minor squabbling, we get past petty issues
and small hiccups that would cripple other similar situations.
I understand that 2/3 of the band is from Ft. Lauderdale. What influenced the move up to Fredericksburg, VA, an area that is more
known for its historical grounds than groundbreaking bands?
Nate: We moved from Florida when both Corey and I were pretty young,
our parents moved up here to be closer to family and stuff. So I suppose
it was “fate” or whatever, since this is where we met our drummer and
amazing management team. Fredericksburg is not exactly a Mecca for
bands. We are on the road as much as possible.
From the first listen, Elisium sounds very much akin to Tool in
its music and vocal tone. When you first started the band, did you
have any initial thought of how you wanted the band to sound?
Nate: Good question! I don’t think we have ever really approached it with
a “we want to sound like ____” kind of attitude. People compare our sound
to Tool, and that is wonderful praise, but it’s not a sound we set out to
make. It just seems to be what comes naturally.
To be totally honest, I don’t think we sound much
like Tool.
Corey: We dabble in a lot of different musical
tastes and backgrounds, and I think that might be
a lot of the reason behind Tool’s “sound” as well as
our own. Like Nate said, we never set out with a
specific sound to try to emulate, we just do what
comes naturally. So far we have lucked out with it
being enjoyed by our fans!
I bring a versatile style, I played guitar for many
years before playing bass, and I play bass more
like a guitarist would play guitar, so I suppose that
adds a “uniqueness” to our sound.
Nathan: Personally, I don’t rely on influences
when writing songs. Of course, the instinct from
listening and training kicks in, but in the end it’s
that moment that becomes the song. As far as influences and inspirations, credit goes to everyone
from Bonham, Grohl, Rich... all the greats.
Which of the band’s influences do you think
most create the overall sound of the band?
Nathan Thomas: It’s really the diversity of our influences that create the final sound. Lately, we’ve
been influenced more so by heavier bands such as
Parkway Drive, Asking Alexandria, whereas we
were into more melodic metal of the time...Tool,
Deftones type stuff.
Corey: I primarily listen to metal and heavier stuff
now, and that is a big change from what was in
my current rotation 3 or 4 years ago, so our music
changes as our styles change.
Nate: One of my favorite bands to listen to lately
has been Karnivool. If we could sound like a heavier version of those guys, I’d be totally fine with
that.
Corey: I second and third and fourth that statement!
I’m sure you’ve heard it before but I have to
say it, “The Safety Dance.” You guys throw
down a cool hard rock version of this classic,
how did that idea come about?
Nathan: In the beginning, that was a joke that
evolved over the course of a tour. When we got
back, we’d play it and laugh. Then one day, we
played it at a home show and the crowd went
crazy, so we kept it and it’s gotten great response
everywhere!
What do you feel you each bring to the band,
and who are your individual influences?
Nate: I didn’t really mean for it to happen, but I
have always been the sort of “leader” of the band
in terms of keeping the business end of things
moving forward. I write the words, but have a
ton of help from the guys in the songwriting and
production process. My individual influences are
broad, but Kurt Cobain was the first musician I really was fascinated with. Nirvana broke me away
from the crap my friends were listening to (Ace
of Base, etc.) and was liberating as hell! Then as I
learned to play and sing, Maynard [James Keenan
of Tool] was definitely a huge inspiration in the
sense of being able to project incredible power
without having to scream like a maniac. There are
so many musicians I’ve looked up to growing up,
it’s difficult to make a short list. Roger Waters is
my favorite songwriter and Pink Floyd my favorite
band. I don’t think anyone will ever replace them.
Corey: That is a fairly involved question, but I will
answer it as best I can! As for influences, I really
don’t have many specific individuals that I necessarily “idolize” or anything like that. I appreciate a lot of bass players, regardless of genre, and
take my style and riff writing from many sources.
I would say hands down the bass player for Karnivool and Justin Chancellor of Tool were massive
influences in the beginning. As for what I bring to
the band, that is really not my call to make. I think
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From a lyrical standpoint, where do you come
from and what do you hope to convey?
Nate: As a fan of music, especially lyrics and vocals, I’ve always understood that the magic of
the music is when it speaks to you in a moment
when you need it. I write lyrics about personal
experiences, my view of the universe, things that
make me mad or things that make me excited
about life. But I always try to relate to people.
If you can create a memory and be that song in
someone’s head that they turn to when they need
something, then you’ve really done your job as a
songwriter.
Recently, the band made an announcement
about recording a new disc in Atlanta with a
“monster” producer in the industry. Any details you can divulge?
Nate: It’s probably good we didn’t announce anything as the scheduling of things didn’t work out
and we ended up having to scrub the session. It
will happen at some point. Then we’ll make sure
we are loud about the details!
How will these new songs compare to Becoming EP...heavier, hookier?
Corey: In my opinion, I think we are taking on a
heavier style while still keeping the hookier aspects that pique the interest of our fans, new and
old.
Nate: I have some goals - I want a heavy song, a
real throw down jam that we can just smash on.
Also some more bass-driven songs, because live
on stage, Corey’s tone is killer and I figure if it
sounds good, turn it up.
Nathan: There’s definitely more going on and
we’re engaging the broader ranges of the heavy
spectrum.
Elisium have had some great opportunities
opening for national acts, not just locally but
in other parts of the country. Which were the
most fulfilling and beneficial for the band?
Nate: Recently, we rocked out with 10 Years at
Club LA in Destin, Florida. It was totally awesome.
The place was packed, we were direct support to
10 Years. We really connected with a lot of new
people. We had a great time with 10 Years for sure,
would happily do it again if we get the offer. We
were a good blend with them too, which isn’t always the case with support bands.
In getting to perform with larger artists, what
lessons have you learned and taken away
from the experiences?
Corey: Be professional, and be real. Anybody who is
neither of those will not get far in this industry. When
you see a national level touring band, you know it. Every aspect of their show looks as natural as breathing.
It can be quite humbling at times, but I think that just
helps to keep you grounded and give you something
to strive for. There is always going to be someone you
look up to, no matter how high up the chain you go.
Nate: I’ve learned that treating people with respect
goes a long way. There’s really no room for ego in
the business. Sure, you meet some “rock stars” who
are not polite, but I’ve made more friends by just
being nice to everyone. Touring is a hard job. I’ve
also learned that no matter what, act professional.
People remember if you had your stuff together...
or if you were the guy who pissed on the floor of
the tour bus.
Since you mentioned touring, what has been
your best and worst experience on the road?
Corey: 4 block long load in in New York City,
hands down....... that was fucking awful.
Nate: Man, it’s really hard to nail it down. So many
great experiences on the road. The BEST times
though are when we get to play with bands we
are friends with. We have made some tremendous
friends with bands like Madrone, Saint Diablo,
Screaming for Silence, Another Lost Year, just to
name a few. Playing music with friends in strange
places night after night is an indescribable thing!
As for the worst… NYC was crap.
Nathan: Some of the worst times happen in the
larger cities; Manhattan, especially. Horrible all
around experience that day. It’s cool hanging out
with bands and meeting new people at the end of
the night. Giving everything to play for strangers—nothing’s better.
Nate you’ve been doing something a little
different since the Myspace days that you really don’t see bands doing. You’ve been doing
acoustic covers and posting them up on YouTube. Where did that idea stem from and how
well has that helped in getting the word out
on the band?
Nate: YouTube is such a tremendous tool for reaching people. The covers thing was really something
I wanted to try to see if it was well received. It
seems to have been! They are fun to do, and a good
way to reach people who otherwise might never
hear about us.
That being said, how important a factor is social networking sites like Facebook, Twitter
and Instagram now as opposed to 5 years ago
for unsigned/independent acts?
Corey: CRUCIAL!!!! Active social networking is
the only way for bands to reach their audiences
on a daily level, which is what it takes to be a
“standout” band in this industry today. Being active ties into many things, not just playing show
after show after show, if you can’t maintain the
personal connection with your fans, you will lose
them, and social networking like the ones you’ve
mentioned is an amazing tool for that.
Nathan: I would say social networking is essential
for bands. These days, when information is so easily spread broadly, by all means make your voice
heard. It’s a great way to promote music and upcoming events, but the real experience lies in the
live show. It also gives a real-time, personal connection to the fans.
Nate: I believe they are important, but they are not
the end-all. The internet has done great things for
connecting people, but seems to have kind of created this expectation that “I’ll just post my song
on the net and get a deal!” and those days are long
gone. It takes work, tremendous work, to stand out
from the crowd these days. Five years ago it was
pretty much all pointed at MySpace, now you have
to manage four or five social networking sites,
some on your phone, some on the computer, it’s
a task to keep up with all of it, but worth the connections you can build.
We’re two months into the new year, what
plans and hopes do you have for 2013?
Nate: I would like to have enough music written
to record a full length album, as well as tour with
some of the other awesome bands that our agency
manages. We’re shooting for 100+ shows this year,
and to play states we’ve never played. We are making our first appearance in Michigan this summer
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with 2 big festivals in June and July. I would be
cool to tour Florida with Dharmata from West
Palm Beach as well.
How do you feel about
today’s industry and where it’s going?Corey: It’s
getting extremely over-saturated and, as a result,
a lot more bands are branching off and becoming
independent, and successfully so, by doing the
leg work themselves and not relying on a Label
rep to handle wearing the daddy pants.
Nate: It’s tough out there. No joke. I read an article with Maynard from Tool recently, and he
said something along the lines of this - I think
the industry will still support those who are willing to work harder, and for less. It wasn’t a very
bright and cheery outlook, but the truth is, you
have to love this stuff to do it. One night people
love you and you feel great, the next night your
trailer blows the bearings out and you are down
$150 and your day sucks again. I think the rise
of independent labels and an industry based on
digital distribution will be like nothing we’ve really seen before... and it’s pretty friggin’ exciting.
Nathan: The interesting part about the industry
is it’s entirely in the hands of the consumer. The
record industry has dwindled down to so little
that bands are forced to approach every possible
avenue to reach fans. It’s an exciting evolving
process.
What advice do you have for local, unsigned
bands trying to be seen and heard?
Nate: The first thing I would say is don’t waste
money on crappy recordings. Write some songs
you feel amazing about and get them recorded
properly. A good recording goes a long way, even
if your live show is stunning, you HAVE to have
a good recorded presence in today’s industry.
Spend the money on that instead of a bunch of
beer coozies with your name on them. And also
- kill it live every night. Treat your live show like
the pinnacle of what you do as a musician.
AD
Grace Potter and
the Nocturnals
Who needs drum sticks? Not Arejay
- he’ll just use his bare hands and go
off like it’s nobody’s business!
The Fillmore Miami Beach
After a two-song encore, “It’s Not
You” and “I Get Off” each showcasat Jackie Gleason Theater
Saturday, February 16, 2013 ing Ms. Hale’s clean, powerful vocals, their tour has ended for 2012
I was surprised to see the vari- and they have begun to celebrate the
ance in ages from 8 to 80 in the near holidays like everyone else.
sold-out crowd at the Fillmore in Miami Beach for Grace Potter and the
Nocturnals. Before the show started
I asked a few crowd members what
their thoughts were on the evening’s Revolution Live
main attraction. Comments such as Ft. Lauderdale, FL
“She’s hot!”, or “She rocks!” were Saturday, February 2, 2013
common answers. Does the band
rock? With the guitar in her hand, I recently got to check out Swedish
Grace Potter certainly tries, but com- metal band In Flames at their headlining
paring her to current female rockers tour stop in Ft. Lauderdale at Revolution
like Lzzy Hale, she’s not even in the Live. To say that the show was impressame league. Her vocals lack the sive would be an understatement. First
range of Hale and let’s say Amy Lee up was opener Battlecross, a band from
but at the end of the day, somehow Canton, MI who accurately describe
this all works. The crowd seems to be their music as “Blue Collar Thrash Methaving a great time singing along and
dancing in the aisles. And in reality
that’s all that matters. People paid
good money to be entertained, and
that’s what they got. Will they ever
sell out Wembley Stadium? Probably
not, but who cares? Certainly not
those who love Potter and company
for their songs that shines far brighter than image. –Christopher Zambello ing faster than the Energizer
bunny…and love every minute of it!
The boy brought out drum sticks that
were literally four feet long and he
played the shit out of them! Sticks?
In Flames
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photos by Christopher Zambello
al” - they came out of the gates hard and
heavy and the fans wasted no time in
creating a mosh pit. It quickly became
clear to me that the packed house was
full of energetic people wanting to rock!
Next in line was All Shall Perish - a
bunch of kick-you-in-the-teeth metal
heads from Oakland, CA. They simply
shifted everything into second gear with
bass so heavy, my teeth were chattering literally! Seattle’s Demon Hunter turned
things up even more with a sound so
heavy I felt as if I got a full body massage.
After much anticipation, it was finally time for In Flames to come out and
showcase their stuff in front of this very
enthusiastic crowd. No sooner did they
open with “Sounds of a Playground Fading,” the crowd went into a frenzy! With
their fists pumping and horns raised,
they all sang in unison. In Flames played
tight and clean with the band’s guitarists leaving it all on the stage giving the
fans everything they wanted...hard riffs,
constant eye contact and killer poses for
pictures.
After some encouragement from lead
singer Anders Fridén, a never-ending
wave of crowd surfers ensued keeping
security on their toes. Kudos to The
Revolution security staff for their professionalism! I noted more than one blackeye in the bunch; a proud battle scar by
many standards. It’s clear to me that
In Flames has many devoted fans who
absolutely love them and I can be sure
that the feeling is mutual with the band!
They fed off the energy of the crowd and
gave one hell of a show. At the end of the
show I asked one fan if it was everything
he had hope for. His reply was “And
then some!” I guess that pretty much
sums it up!
Hatebreed
artist on artist
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met our new bassist Derek on a
whim. Someone suggested we try
him out and after a couple of rehearsals we decided he was our
guy. He’s an amazing person and
very dedicated, so it’s complete.
Anthony: Yeah, I chatted with
Derek at the show we played
the other week. Great guy, real
friendly and he liked our band so
he’s a keeper!
I always thought you guys we’re
and are extremely talented and I
was really impressed with your
last show.Mike: Thank you. We
thought you guys were great
and right on the money as well.
Haven’t missed a beat!
Anthony: Yeah this techno/electro club scene has really killed
rock music in South Florida. I still
love to play live even though the
shows are smaller. The people that
do show up are really into it.
Mike: What led to the reformation
of Endo along with the inclusion
of original drummer Joel Suarez
and your new bass player Derek
Gormley?
Gil: It was as simple as calling
Joel and saying “hey man, let’s
get together and see what happens.” Joel called Eli and everything came together so naturally. Zelick on the other hand
was hard to convince and didn’t
want to join for personal reasons.
I practically begged him to come
back and he refused. Currently
he in a band called Black Jacket.
He’s happy, which is great. We
20 | SFL Onstage |
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Gil: What’s next for Scars of Life?
Anthony: Scars of Life is also almost finished writing an entire
album to be recorded this year.
We aren’t looking to tour but
definitely want to get music out
to the world to follow up our
debut album ‘What We Reflect.’
What are the plans for Endo? Are
you looking to put music out and
make this more of a “fun thing”
or are you all looking to hit the
road and go at this again like you
did in the past with the Columbia
Records deal?Gil: We love touring, so hopefully in the near future we will. I live to tour. It’s the
greatest freedom to do something
you love and travel. Who could
ask for anything more!
Mike: What has been the most enjoyable tour for you so far?
Gil: Obviously Ozzfest was a
dream come true. Playing with
bands you grew up listening to
is quite amazing to say the least.
Great tour, lots of fun surreal
moments. I remember one day
Sebastian Bach from old school
Skid Row was hanging out with
us drinking at one of the tents
in Florida. Jonathan Davis hanging on our bus on a regular basis,
meeting Manson and Dita on tour.
Good times! Sharon Osbourne is
an absolute sweetheart and brilliant.
Anthony: I hung out with a gas
station attendant once when our
van broke down. Damn, my stories suck!
Gil: [Laughter] It will happen!
Anthony: Seriously though I hear
Sharon is great. She truly loves
the music scene. Does she act like
a mom to everyone?
Gil: Yes, I felt she was very genuine when I talked with her. I nearly dropped the phone when our
manager at the time gave us the
news. Being sponsored by Jagermeister and Red Bull on tour really did wonders for us as well.
Anthony: I can’t imagine. When I
saw what you guys were doing it
was great to see a band from our
area getting out there and making
a name for themselves. I remember
seeing your video on some TV station - you know when they used
to play videos instead of drama
queen shows. When SOL broke
up we pretty much had burned
out and just flat out didn’t enjoy
playing music anymore because
it became such a “job” and it lost
its fun. We made music because
we enjoyed it and we lost that excitement. Now we’re thrilled to be
writing again and keeping it on a
light “fun” level but still serious
about the music. How’s the overall feeling within Endo now compared the days when you decided
to disband?
Gil: It’s a notch above in every
level - maturity, understanding,
music, personal lives and struggles. It’s not easy living in a monetary based society. What’s the
new SOL material about or based
upon?
Anthony: Well, Kyle writes almost
all the lyrics, and I’ll have some
lyrical input as well. The lyrics always have and still focus on real
life topics and issues. The SOL lyrics that fans love and relate too.
Most of our fans gravitate toward
us because they feel the lyrics are
a book to their lives. Kyle is an excellent writer and a huge factor of
our fan base.
Mike: Obviously, being signed
to a major label and touring
helped spread Endo’s name in
the metal community. You also
had the opportunity to be a part
of some soundtracks and things
like that. When Scars of Life
was first starting out, we got a
licensing deal from the UFC to
be a part of their TV programs,
pay per views, video games, and
soundtracks. It really propelled
us to a whole other level. How
do you think licensing your mu-
sic impacted your status and are
you looking to license your new
music when it’s recorded? Can
you also tell us what the plans
are for Endo this year as far as
new music?
Mike: This was a lot of fun and we
hope we share the stage together
again soon. We need to take the
scene back by storm!
Gil: Thanks guys, always nice
chatting with you. Good luck in
all your endeavors. Thanks to SFL
Gil: Nice!
Being on such ONSTAGE!
soundtracks as Wes Cravens www.facebook.com/endorocks
Dracula 2000 and Daredevil re- www.facebook.com/scarsoflife
ally helped promote the band,
to say the least. Record sales sky
rocketed and our fan base grew,
so that was a big factor. Now we
are in the recording stage. Our
sound turned into a revolutionary new level and, I believe it’s
even a bit heavier with an element of punk. We’re excited to
put it out there. Get ready for an
amazing record!Anthony: Great
chatting with you and we hope
to tear up the stage again sometime soon with you guys. Get our
asses down to Miami, it’s the only
reason I’ll deal with that traffic.
The Darkness
22 | SFL Onstage |
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Hell or Highwater
an
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by Ma
Over the past ten years the title ‘Super Group’ has had a tendency to be thrown around a lot, but in
the case of Dark New Day, it holds true. Boasting powerful vocals from Brett Hestla of Virgos Merlot
and Creed, the drum talents of Will Hunt (Evanescence, Skrape, Tommy Lee), and the guitar prowess
of Clint Lowery (Sevendust) and Troy McLawhorn (Double Drive, Seether) is enough to make any rock
fan take interest...as many were with the release of the band’s debut disc, Twelve Year Silence. After
heavy touring and some creative writing sessions, Dark New Day hit the studio to record a follow-up
album that was destined to put them on the map. Unfortunately this disc was shelved by a label that
left a band and a growing fan base wondering if this music would ever see the light of day. After years
of waiting, the music world is finally greeted to Hail Mary. After a lengthy sit down with vocalist Brett
Hesta; fans can get the whole story.
Fans have waited a long time for Hail Mary to be
released, what’s the story of how the stars aligned
for this to finally be released?
As the band completed the record we were super excited. Warner Brothers seemed super excited too and even
scheduled a video to be shot for the first single. Than
all of a sudden we got an e-mail saying that the label
had a meeting and that they decided not to move ahead
with the release of the record. We were stunned, flabbergasted that we had made this record and now it was
24 | SFL Onstage |
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not going to come out. We were heartbroken. We all
have friends who worked at record labels and they were
asking Warner Bros. to put it out – and Warner Bros.
wouldn’t even respond to them. They wouldn’t even
send a message back. It looked as though they were just
going to write off their cost and walk away from it. I
don’t know what changed between then and now, but
Pavement heard the record, loved it and couldn’t understand why it hadn’t come out. I guess there are different
people over at Warner Bros. now because when Pave-
ment contacted them they were able to make things
work. After all the time that’s gone by and angry feelings about it being shelved, I’m just super happy that
the album is finally going to be available so that I can
tell people to check it out. I just wish the band was able
to tour it.
You guys first started releasing the demos for songs
that would appear on Hail Mary on MySpace back
in 2007. How different were those initial demos to
the songs we hear now on the physical version of
Hail Mary?
I don’t think that we put up any demos from the actual
Hail Mary recording sessions up on MySpace. We did
post up demos that I recorded at my studio in Orlando
and some that were recorded at Corey’s (Lowery) place
in Atlanta. We posted those clips as teasers. The one’s
we did with David Bendeth were more polished and we
got to really take our time in making sure that the songs
came out exactly how we felt they should be. David Bendeth was key in bringing out something that we had yet
to discover in the band, expanding on the limits past 12
Year Silence. We didn’t want to be compared to our old
bands or it be another in the line of new metal records.
We just wanted to do something that truly showcased
the talent of the band...being able to perform great music in a variety of styles, to switch it up and make an
all-around rich record with some positivity.
What mind frame was the band in when you guys
starting writing what would become Hail Mary?
All of us were at that stage in our career where we
were tired of rehashing the rhythmic guitar sound, we
wanted to get past that. We didn’t want it to be like
another Sevendust or Virgos Merlot, or Skrape or Doubledrive – we didn’t want it to be like an album that we
had already done in our past. In all fairness, when we
wrote 12 Year Silence we were just getting together to
record some music because we always talked about doing it. We all had songs individually and that formed the
makeup. On Hail Mary we wanted to define what we
sounded like when we all wrote together and critiqued
each other’s work. That’s the true difference between us
on 12 Year Silence and us on Hail Mary.
There’s a definite night and day difference between the two albums, with
Hail Mary almost sounding like a different band.
And that was on purpose. I remember that
immediately after completing the touring
cycle for 12 Year Silence I said ‘we need
to write a lot of music and really get good
at meeting each other and accomplishing
something that is more of a blend of our
styles.’ That was met with equal excitement as we tried all sorts of things from
writing in different pairs to see what we
could accomplish. Some of it got used and
some just got thrown in the vault because
it didn’t really represent Dark New Day.
From a lyrical and vocal standpoint
you sound more at home during
these sessions than 12 Year Silence
and Black Porch. What made you feel
more comfortable as a vocalist?
We are all huge fans of each other’s previous works. The guys (in Dark New Day)
loved Virgos Merlot and they were interested in me getting back to a melodic
makeup, similar to what I did on those
Virgos Merlot records. Being able to take
off the producer and mixer hat also gave
me the ability to focus and redo. Sometimes I would write an entire song and
then black it all out and start over just to
see if I could beat the previous idea. Having the time to concentrate and not have
to worry about tracking everyone else’s
stuff really helped get things done in a
timely manner.
Were the songs on Hail Mary and New
Tradition which were released last
year written and recorded around the
same time?
New Tradition is a collection of all the
demos that we did as well as some songs
that were recorded during 12 Year Silence.
Fans of the band were hungry for more
music and there weren’t any ties to those
demos – sure the music could have been
mixed a little better and polished, but all
in all we loved the songs. We were truly
happy to have something for the fans who
had been waiting so long for this record.
Ultimately, what we really wanted was to
release Hail Mary.
Last year when we spoke you mentioned that the band wrote and recorded roughly 70 songs with David
Bendeth. What caused such a massive
outpouring of music in that amount
of time?
It was more so those songs were wrote
after we finished with 12 Year Silence
and going in with David Bendeth; not all
while with Bendeth. It was spread out into
six, maybe seven writing sessions. When
everyone in the band is such a proficient
writer there’s never a shortage of mate-
rial. After that it comes down to recording
it, listening back and deciding which 10 to
12 songs best represent who we are in this
time frame.
You and Cory are both known as being pretty notable producers. Why did
you opt to work with David Bendeth
(Breaking Benjamin, Paramore) rather than produce yourselves.
There’s a certain amount of stress and responsibility when you’re producing your
own album. That takes away from your
ability concentrate on your goals with the
music. As a producer, for me, it’s always
great to have someone outside of the band
to bounce ideas off of and to have someone
to say ‘hey, I think you should try this idea
in this section’ without hurting anyone’s
feelings or going against any band mate’s
ideas. It’s an outside perspective suggesting that there may be a better lyric, guitar
line or drum part. That was something
that we all wanted because of how we got
together. Having the label be supportive...
to oversee and wear those hats so Corey
and I didn’t have to was great.
From a producing standpoint, was
there anything that you took away
from the table after working with David Bendeth?
It’s always interesting working with people in that role. What I took away from it
was to remember the common sense approach to music – to step back and listen
to the song and try to separate yourself
from being the writer and ask yourself if
it’s good. Now that you’ve done this, is it
a good thing? Is it just what we wanted?
When you grow up and become a big boy
in the music business you stop trying to
make yourself happy and just try to make
great music. That’s what we were trying
to focus on with this record. We were
taking away the personal attachments
to parts, ideas, arrangements...throwing
them out the window and asking what
the best thing is for the song. How do we
make the best song and how do we make
the song meaningful to those that hear it...
how do we give the song universal appeal.
That’s what David Bendeth was great at –
sure you have these lyrics and you have
this melody, but when people listen to the
song will they get it, or are you just masking what you’re trying to say with poetic
muse? That’s definitely something that
I’m guilty of – keeping lyrics vague and
not really speaking from the heart. Bendeth forced me out of that. He told me to
write something that I would say to someone, make it conversational. To told me to
be open, up front and honest. Nobody had
ever suggested that to me.
What singles are being released?
Sirius has been playing “Goodbye.” I’ve
been getting calls and text messages from
people saying that they are hearing it. I’m
not sure if that song will be released as a
single but we’ve talked about it. It would
be a great song to get the ball rolling. It’s a
brutal song and, as heavy as it is, the melodic content and lyrics really stand out
for it as well.
What song best represents the band
during the time you recorded Hail
Mary? Which song best represents
where the band was headed towards
the end of the sessions?
We were going in so many different directions...songs like “Vicious Thinking”
and “Simple” is where I was pushing my
boundaries melodically and trying to
write the best melody I could. The songs
that sums up everything that we’re about
is “Goodbye” and “Saddest Song.”
The band posted a few professionally
shot videos performing songs on a
sound stage for Black Porch Sessions,
as well as a concert in Chicago. With
a new deal now, can fans expect to finally see those shows released to DVD
as well, even if it was an online order
only kind of thing?
It’s something that we have definitely
talked about. The collection of work that
was shot for DVD was done under the
Warner Bros. roof so getting the - permission to release all of that for release is
another part. We don’t want to put out a
DVD with one or two things. We really
want to hold off until will can put out
something that has everything that we
have to offer. That way our fans will get
a collection of everything that we have. i
We want to wait until it’s truly our library
of work and that it will be a good value
for the fans.
Troy (McLawhorn) and Will (Hunt)
are also members of Evanescence.
Since Evanescence is on break now
is there a chance that Dark New Day
will do any Florida shows? I’m thinking a Sevendust/Dark New Day/Eye
Empire would make for a cool lineup.
Though Will and Troy aren’t doing Evanescence right now, Will is going to be
out on tour with David Draiman’s (Disturbed) new band Device. Troy is in the
process of writing and recording for different projects at the moment. Clint is
on tour with Sevendust and Corey is out
with Eye Empire. I wish everyone could
be off at the same time but we all have
multiple things going. We tried desperately to have a tour to back this release,
we went through hours and hours on the
phone, e-mail, trying to schedule some
dates. We’re still working on it. I think
I probably have more of a will and want
than anyone else because they are all
still touring and I’ve just been producing. To be able to finally get those dates
and perform those songs live will be
huge for me because I just think that
there is a gaping hole in my life not being able to get those songs to the stage.
As a producer and studio owner
not far from here in Orlando, being
more on the industry side the past
few years, how do you feel about
the state of rock music in our state,
especially with so many radio stations closing down across the country?
I don’t know if we touched on this
much last year, but radio as a whole is
suffering. It needs a bold new approach
in order to win back its listening audience. It’s as simple as having a radio in
your car or an iPod in your car. The old
makeup of radio is that the commercials
pay the bills so you can play music. I
don’t think that it’s the commercials
that have limited the audience; it’s that
not only do the stations always play the
same eight songs but they play songs
from ten years ago. They don’t play the
newer music. The majority of our fans
are more cutting edge and they want
the newest and best stuff. Occasionally
you hear some older songs and it brings
you back, but from what radio used to
be and what it is now are two different things. If radio can find a way to get
back to the frontier of playing the latest, hottest and best in new music they
might see resurgence. The corporate
version of radio that we’re involved in
now is just stifling to anything progressive and new because they aren’t getting phone calls or requests for new
music. It’s still broadcasting free music,
it’s just finding a way to excite listeners
again. There are a million ways to do it,
they just need to find a way to facilitate
that change.
The way you get to that next level has
100% changed at this point. A band is
truly capable of grabbing an audience
on their own merit and under their own
control and outlet. You can have a YouTube page, Reverb Nation, Band Camp
– there are just thousands of ways to
attach people to your music. It’s just
a totally different age in that respect.
There is no limit to how you can reach
people with your music now. Finding
bands that are hard enough workers in
social media to make it real different
is the difference between what bands
work and what bands don’t. You have
people who say that they aren’t good at
that stuff or they don’t want to or don’t
care about going those avenues. Those
are the people who are in the worst
state because they just want to make
music and that’s not enough. There are
places where if your Facebook ‘likes’
and your YouTube views aren’t up to
what labels consider standard, than
that’s the most telling and damaging
piece of information for the band because it says, if you’re not working
on your band why should we work on
your band? Labels have less money for
research and development to foster a
young band and make them something
for the marketplace, so it’s up to the
bands to do it themselves. You really
see which bands are tech savvy and
connected with their fans to give them
more content, and up to date videos
of the band. I’m not necessarily saying
that it’s better, but it’s what’s working. I know when I was trying to break
into this business I would spend hours
and hours making flyers and putting
them on cars, handing them out at
malls, etc. Now to be able to do one
blast e-mail or Facebook post reaching
everyone simultaneously frees up a lot
of time. When I was younger if I had
those advantages I would have been
making videos and taking advantage
of that as well. So I see the value and
strength behind your own promotion
and self-marketing. You have to start
small and work your way up.
28 | SFL Onstage |
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Todd
Top: Joe Louis Walker, left: Dr. John,
photos by Todd McFliker. Right:
Duane Trucks & The Funky Biscuits,
photo by Jay Skolnick
30 | SFL Onstage |
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Mizner Park Amphitheater
Boca Raton, Florida
Saturday, January 19, 2013
Headlining the inaugural Sunshine Blues Festival, the 11-piece
Tedeschi Trucks Band spent the
third week of 2013 jamming onstage in the Sunshine State. Following a jovial evening in Fort
Myers and just prior to a funloving performance in St. Petersburg, the celebration took place
in a new and improved Mizner
Park Amphitheater in Boca Raton
on Saturday, January 19th. “We
are excited to be back in Florida,
playing with some of our favorite
musicians and good friends,” said
Derek Trucks in a video posted on
the Sunshine Blues Festival website.
A hard rain fell upon two different settings at the day’s worth of
festivities. For $49.50 and a hefty
service fee, concertgoers could enjoy general admission seating in
the picturesque amphitheater that
lies just north of upscale shopping
and fine dining. A muddy path to
the east of this seating area led to
a smaller and more intimate stage
on a grassy field. Never seeing
this part of Mizner Park, I was reminded of a giant fiesta, not unlike Coachella or Langerado, only
one-fifth the size. Wet and muddy
spectators gathered around dozens of wooden booths surrounding the field. Consumers could
find everything from overpriced
beers and hot dogs to t-shirts and
hats, as well as trippy artwork and
Star Wars-themed paraphernalia.
Overflowing with expertise, the
Tedeschi Trucks Band was led
by the husband and wife team of
Derek Trucks and Susan Tedeschi.
The woman met her man on his
first stint as co-lead guitarist on a
1999 Allman Brothers tour. Creating a band of their own, they took
home a Grammy for Best Blues Album for their 2011 debut release,
Revelator. At this year’s Sunshine
Blues Festival, Trucks’ signature
slide-guitar sound was once again
a perfect match for Tedeschi’s
well-rounded vocals. Meshing the
Delta blues with Memphis soul,
Tedeschi showed off a stunning
ability to change her voice from
high to low. The famous couple’s
expertise was perfectly complemented by the other nine members of the funky crew.
Trucks sported jeans and a button-down under a thick beard,
along with a long ponytail. His
blonde-haired
wife
strutted
around in black leather slacks and
a sleeveless white top. Singing her
blues and funk, Tedeschi stood
front and center. Mr. Trucks was
no more than 2-feet to her right
the whole time. The guitar virtuoso often tapped one leg like he
was at a square dance, as he slid
his fingers up and down his instrument. Rays of purple, blue and
orange lights shot onto the stage
during the entire set.
Fortunate audience members
experienced studio cuts with a
looseness and spontaneity that
can only come with a phenomenal
group of musicians. Magnificent
numbers like “Bound For Glory”
were made up of extended guitar,
drum, sax and keyboard jams. It
was then topped off with the masterful trumpet playing of Maurice
Brown. One could certainly hear
the gospel and Motown influences
in “Simple Song / Take You Higher,” as well as “Love Has Something
to Say.” I even caught some psychedelic rock every now and then.
The talented vocalist delivered the
ballad “Angel From Montgomery”
and explored true heartbreak in
“Isn’t It a Pity.” The woman also
got her groove on with an 8-minute cover of Stevie Wonder’s “Uptight (Everything’s Alright).” Tedeschi thanked the crowd, along
with the other bands at the Sunshine Blues Festival. “Maybe we’ll
come back next year,” she declared
before exiting the stage.
Besides the impressive Tedeschi Trucks Band memorable performance, the set-list of the main
stage included Walter Trout, along
with Dr. John & the Lower 911.
Stemming from New Orleans in
the 1950s, the 72 year old doctor
of the blues, also known as Mac
Rebennack, has played on records
by everyone from Aretha Franklin and Van Morrison to the Rolling Stones. He has even played
alongside Eric Clapton. In 2011,
the constantly touring Grammy
winner was inducted into the
Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Leading a 10-piece band, Dr. John was
pimping an orange suit, a black
hat, thick sunglasses and multiple
necklaces. Flaunting a sly smile,
the charismatic persona started
his performance at an electric organ, and made his way over to a
full sized piano. Full of passion,
the superb set was tons of fun.
The second stage featured Matt
Schofield and The Woods Brothers, as well as my personal favorite, the already legendary Joe Louis Walker and his old school blues.
Born and raised in San Francisco’s
Fillmore District in the 1960s,
the award-winning artist used to
open for Jimi Hendrix. ‘Nuff said.
Wearing jeans and a black buttondown to match his black guitar
and braided hair, Walker ripped
through heartfelt guitar solos with
pure precision. The entire field of
spectators were on their feet dancing. Walker’s soulful blues were
spellbinding. Hundreds danced for
32 | SFL Onstage |
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Mizner Park Amphitheater
Top-left: Susan Tedeschi with The Funky Biscuits, photo by Jay Skolnick. Top-right: Derek Trucks of the Tedeschi Trucks Band,
above: The Tedeschi Trucks Band, bottom-left: Joe Louis Walker, bottom right: Vanessa Collier plays saxophone for Joe Louis
Walker, photos by Todd McFliker
roughly an hour to fun selections,
like “Too Drunk to Drive Drunk.”
The highlight of the night was
“Sugar Mama,” which was dedicated
to all the women who work because
their Sugar Daddies “aint sweet no
more,” according to Walker. “You
know you’re sitting at home all
by yourself, all dressed up and nowhere to go,” he expressed. “And
they didn’t call ‘cause they are dogs.
You know most men are dogs. Ruff,
Ruff. So when you are at home by
yourself, waiting for the phone to
ring, thinking nobody loves you,
you remember one thing... Somebody loves you, and his name is Joe
Louis Walker.” The entertainer then
leaned forward and yelled into the
mic, “Hey Sugar Mama, where you
get all that fried chicken from?” He
clenched his eyes shut and tilted
his head back as his fingers danced
along his instrument with speed
and accuracy. Walker then busted
out a harmonica for an extended
jam, trading soulful licks with the
attractive young miss playing the
saxophone. The talent successfully
blended gospel, jazz and rock into
their innovative blues.
“The rain failed to dampen the
enthusiasm,” said Andy Preston, radio personality of 98.7 The Gater.
“I was all ears, with my jaw in the
mud the last 10 minutes of the Sonny Landreth’s set. He unloosed the
Hellhounds. Awesome!” The par-
ticularly inventive guitar virtuosos
engaged the audience with diverse
arrangements of dreamy instrumentals.
Following the long day, the band
known as Flannel Church celebrated
onstage at the Funky Biscuit in Boca
Raton for an unforgettable after party. Singer and guitarist Marshall Ruffin and Derek’s brother, drummer
Duane Trucks, were joined onstage
by both Susan Tedeschi and Maurice
Brown. The artistic ensemble delivered the Bill Withers classic, “Grandma’s Hands,” and allowed Tedeschi
to revisit “Isn’t It a Pity.” Needless
to say, it was a spectacular day
and night for a raw celebration of
rhythm and blues in South Florida.
CD Reviews
listening public who would
love it from to back.
—Matthew Pashalian
Dark New Day
Hail Mary
Pavement Entertainment
For back story on “Hail
Mary,” see full feature!
“Goodbye” is a heck of
an album opener with its
militant twists and turns
before heading into a chorus that drummer Will
Hunt makes truly pulse
pounding. The bounce of
“Anywhere” and “Vicious
Thinking” is infectious,
while “Simple” and “On
My Own” bring on a bit of
the bands heavier side. The
album’s title track, however, stands apart from the
other tracks. “Hail Mary”
features Pink Floyd-like
trip trails within the verses and driving choruses
that guitarists Clint Lowery and Troy McLowhorn
weave through wonderfully. “Dear Addy” sticks
out with enough sweet pop
rock sound to give a cavity, but still cavity and all,
you can’t help but hit the
button labeled repeat. The
metallic “Fiend” and punk
blast of “Outside” pick the
albums pace back up before ending with “Give Me
The World.” For many fans,
Hail Mary has been considered a lost treasure that
would never see the light of
day. After listening to the
album a few times though,
you really have to question
why such a fantastic album
would be held back from a
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Hatebreed
The Divinity of Purpose
Razor & Tie Recordings
Word of caution before
checking out Hatebreed’s
latest, The Divinity of Purpose; do not play this while
driving - it’s a guaranteed
speeding ticket! Vocalist
Jamie Jasta reminds me of a
military drill sergeant – an
in-your-face, spit-flying,
hard screamer that will
quickly gain your attention. You will definitely get
in gear or be summoned to
give up 50 push-ups. The
Divinity of Purpose is one
seriously adrenalizing album!
Long-time fans of the
Grammy-nominated band
will find this album is their
hardest hitter yet. The first
track, “Put it to the Torch”
kicks you right in the teeth
from the get-go with its
heavy guitar riffs, pounding bass and balls to the
wall drumming. Things
don’t let up anytime soon
either, in fact they don’t let
up throughout the whole
album. My first impression was that all the songs
sounded the same but the
more I listened to it, the
more I realized that wasn’t
the case at all.
The messages they are
trying to put across aren’t
all negative and full of hatred as one might expect there is a lot of positivity
in here. Another standout
track, “Honor Never Dies,”
is a tribute to the Veterans
of this nation who have
come back home but are
still dealing with the emotional side of war. “When
the limelight grows dim
and our heroes fade away,
some men still fight silent
battles until their final
days. Some will be forgotten having no one know
their names, but I stand
here grateful for the courage that they gave.” Having listened to this, I have a
new respect for this band.
My second impression after listening to The Divinity
of Purpose - I can’t wait to
see the band perform these
songs live!
Dropkick Murphys
Signed and Sealed In Blood
Dropkick Murphys
What better way to kick off
the New Year than with a
brand new Dropkick Murphy’s album! Signed and
Sealed in Blood showcases
the band’s continued talent
with their unmistakable
signature sound. While
some may say this album
doesn’t break any new
ground, I feel otherwise.
Dropkick has a solid album
with their distinctive Irishinfluenced songs filled
with topics that cover everything from drinking to
dysfunctional families.
First bursting into the
music scene in the late
1990s, they immediately
proved that they were not
your typical band. Dropkick had a distinctive sound
and that has not changed.
From the get-go, Signed
and Sealed in Blood tracks
are fun, toe-tapping and
yes, even danceable. From
the lead-off tracks “The
Boys are Back,” and “Rose
Tattoo,” to “Don’t Tear Us
Apart” and “End of the
Night,” Signed and Sealed
in Blood is a must have for
any diehard Dropkick fan
and a perfect introduction
to future fans.
—Jennifer Sobek
Bad Religion
True North
Epitaph
From the kinetic guitar
bursts that starts the title
track and the album, True
North, you have the sense
Bad Religion is embracing
the strengths that made
such albums as 1988’s Suffer and 1989’s No Control so
extraordinary. And indeed
this is the case on their now
16th studio release, which
gives the listener a hefty
dose of rapid fire drumming by Brooks Wacker-
trapt
reborn
f.o.f. entertainment
Their self-titled release in 2002 hooked
me with the raw emotion and passion
of Chris Brown’s vocals and lyrics. The
seven-string guitars cut through the mix
with a distinctive blend of distortion and
clean delay. The bass boomed, complementing the backing of the drums. It was
a solid sound. The following three albums
deviated from their initial stylistic signature, creating a new breed of growth and
a staple for their music. Reborn is a product of throwing elements of Trust Company, Smile Empty Soul, and The Eagles
into a blender and capturing the unique
results.
I was quite taken aback when I heard
the growling vocals forty-five seconds
into “Bring It.” It reminded me of the earlier Linkin Park records, and I was unsure
of how to feel about that. “Love Hate Relationship” brought back the resemblance
to their previous work, but it wasn’t until
listening to the third track that I realized
man, Brett Gurewitz and
Greg Hetson’s steady blast
of fiery guitar riffs, machine-gun bass lines by Jay
Bentley and introspective
lyrics by Greg Graffin who
sings with a bravado that’s
acerbic yet world-weary.
Whereas 2010’s The Process of Belief dangerously
came off like a punk band
retiring with its bland, mid36 | SFL Onstage |
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the depth Trapt has accomplished with
Reborn. The ballad, “Experience,” takes
the emotional highs of the record to a
new level. Vocal effects complement the
dual guitars that soar to riffs that haven’t
been heard in Trapt’s discography before.
For some reason I can’t explain, “Experience” and “Living in the Eye of the Storm”
are reminiscent of The Eagles, while the
synth work on “Living in the Eye of the
Storm” most certainly makes the song.
Reborn heads back into heavier tracks
like “Livewire (Light Me Up)” and
“Strength in Numbers.” Notably, the
band finds ways, especially with “Get
Out of Your Own Way,” to push the
boundaries that restricted who they
were in their musicianship. “Going Under” is a comfortable throwback to their
earlier work that will impress older fans
who liked Someone in Control. Starting
with guitars reminiscent of “New Beginning,” “Too Close” is doubled with vio-
tempo songs that lacked
the fire of even more recent
material like 2007’s superb
New Dark Ages; True North
makes the former sound
merely like a bump in the
road. Gurewitz and Graffin
seem to have come up with
some kick ass numbers on
this go around such as the
aforementioned title track,
the class warfare of “Land
lins that would impress Danny Elfman
and Tim Burton.
“When It Rains,” pours a ton of heart
into a track that is surprisingly upbeat,
even for Trapt. The guitar overdubs different layers of texture into the song,
creating something special and unique
for this band. Ending with “You’re No
Angel,” Trapt leaves listeners hungering
for more, including a solo that I can’t really identify, but it makes me wonder if
they are secretly Motley Crue fans.
The deluxe edition of Reborn included
acoustic performances of five tracks including “Disconnected (Out of Touch),”
and the previously unreleased “Avelyn.”
Every album Trapt has put out has been
dressed to impress, and Reborn is no different. The sonic variety is definitely a
catch for any fan of the band, old or new.
Reborn has renewed my lifetime subscription to Trapt.
—Chris DeWuske
of Endless Greed” and the
self-assured defiance of
“Fuck You.”
True North is a testament
to the band’s dedication
and ability to contemplate
ideas about everything
from religion to government to society at large
with full-throttle riffs and
tenacious punk rhythms. It
would be easy to be simply
satisfied with their legacy
or phone in an album at
this point in their career,
but that’s never been Bad
Religion’s modus-operandi. And the band sound
tight and focused here on
one of their better releases
since their late 80s/early
90s heyday.
—Jeff Noller
Low
The Invisible Way
Sub Pop
As beautiful as ever, Low
kicks off The Invisible Way
with “Plastic Cup” with
Low’s unique minimalist rhythms and voices. I
could and very well miss
work to sit and listen to
the bands sonic majesty.
“Holy Ghost” finds the
band doing something
new with the melody and
movement, using big gospel piano chords turning
the song into an instant
favorite for me. The piano
on “Waiting” refusing to be
dampened creates an effect
much to the ear as looking into an infinite number
of mirrors is to the eyes.
“Clarence White” gets really new with the amount
of soul infused in the vocal
lines and perfectly executed, unexpected pop hooks.
“Four Score” is more
stylistically what fans are
used to hearing from the
band, but when they do experiment it always seems
to work out in a major
way. One thing you can
treasure about Low is how
they orchestrate and treat
their sonic textures with
care. The guitar in “Just
Make It Stop” starts out
sounding like it travelled
through time to get to your
ears, and the piano sings
in a low register rarely
given time in the limelight.
The blues gets opened up
and comes out to shine on
“Mother” that Low can ex-
press the aforementioned
hue in sound.
While “On My Own”
goes out to everyone out
there with a birthday, “To
Our Knees” ends The Invisible Way beautifully with its
first chorus and masterful
melodic dissention queue’s
and faintly ringing bells to
tease your ears. Sometimes
you can embellish music
by what you choose not
to play, or just what you
choose to leave out, and
Low is almighty in this respect. The album ends with
just such an example as
they refuse to resolve their
chord progression.
—Robert Bernhardt
most aggressive vocals to
date. The band loses a bit
of momentum on the album’s final tracks. These
seem more flat than linear which, at least for this
fan, does not place Release
The Panic above previous
works.
My Bloody Valentine
MBV
Independent
Red
Release The Panic
Provident
On Red’s fourth release,
Release The Panic, the
Nashville foursome delivers another fairly solid effort of down-tuned hard
rock. This time around
the band gets a bit more
experimental with tracks
such as the danceable “Die
for You” and the electronic
squeals of “Damage.” The
title track and disc starter
“Release The Panic” is an
infectious tune that’s destined to dominate radio
waves as are “Perfect Life”
and the mid-tempo ballad
“Hold Me Now.”
Release The Panic does
have more aggressive moments like “If We Only,”
which displays some of
vocalist Michael Barnes
What can be said about My
Bloody Valentine’s followup to Loveless that hasn’t
already been said. Yes,
fans that fell in love with
Loveless when the disc was
originally released probably have kids old enough
to drink by now, but I’m
sure parents and offspring
could probably now sit
down with a drink and
enjoy this long awaited
follow-up together. That
being said, MBV, which is
being sold online independently through the band’s
website, really is, as cliché
as it sounds, just what you
would expect the follow-up
to Loveless to sound like.
Masterminds Kevin Shields
and
Bilinda
Butcher
haven’t lost a step as dual
tremmed guitars with
classic whispered vocals
are almost serene on “She
Found Now” and “Only
Tomorrow,” which almost
sounds like the clearest
distorted guitars the band
has put out to date. The
band throw that right out
the window on the sickly
beautiful “Who Sees You”
which might remind you
of a car trying to turn over.
The eerie church organlike “Is This and Yes” would
be a strange track for an
interlude on any rock band
but asks as a nice teaser for
“If I Am,” where drums and
bass lightly enter the fold.
The most raucous track, “In
Another Way,” is packed
with dissonance and walls
of noise, and seems to be
the most fun the band has
throughout MBV.
One could argue that
Shields and company could
have put an album like
MBV years ago. Furthermore, why the big hoopla
over bands like Silversun
Pickups, UME and The Joy
Formidable who have taken what MBV have done
and expanded on it? Well,
the answer is simple–the
ones influenced are still
only touching what the
originators have created.
Black Veil Brides
Wretched & Divine: The Story of the Wild Ones
Universal Republic
Take me back to 1986
when a band called Cinderella made it big with their
album Night Songs. Dressed
in all black with big hair,
make-up and a much commercialized sound, they
didn’t have to sing well,
nor write great songs, they
just had to look good. Following in those glam-rock
footsteps, Black Veil Brides
38 | SFL Onstage |
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are the Cinderella of 2013.
Wretched & Divine: The
Story of the Wild Ones is
the third studio album for
the Cincinnati-based band.
Singer Andy Biersack, the
only original member of
Black Veil Brides, is now
supported by an all-new
cast of musicians. Biersack’s scratchy voice is
flat and lacks any sort of
range. The fact of the matter is...he bores me. Given
the chance, Simon Cowell
would rip him apart. On
a brighter note, Christian
Coma does a decent job on
drums and Jake Pitts shines
on lead guitar with standout solos.
The whole concept of the
album confuses me. What’s
their message? From my
understanding, they imagine themselves as fighting
rebels against a regime
called F.E.A.R. Through the
19 tracks there are numerous references to God, devils, heaven, hell and sins.
Before any music is played,
a voice comes on and says,
“The Kingdom of God is
inside you and all around
you.” Is this a Christian
rock album? Cinderella’s
tenure in the rock world
lasted a total of four studio albums; the Black Veil
Brides will be lucky to get
that far.
dation when it was announced New Order was
releasing an 8-song EP that
had originated during the
sessions for 2005’s Waiting for the Siren’s Call. For
starters, that album was
all but a bust; a stigmatic
blemish on an otherwise
brilliant and groundbreaking career by one of the
best acts of the 80s. And
given the fireworks between
guitarist/vocalist
Bernard Summer and bassist Peter Hook, since the
latter left acrimoniously
in 2007, it seemed that this
was a last gasp attempt at
cashing in on the New Order name.
However, from the opening rocker, “I’ll Stay with
You,” not only is this assumption wrong but you
have to wonder why these
songs weren’t on the
band’s last album instead
of what was put out in its
place. Simply put, this Lost
Sirens shines like a diamond.
Summer’s songwriting
here is solid such as with
the aforementioned “I’ll
Stay with You” and the
sleek dance rock of “Sugarcane” that open Lost Sirens.
Overall, the results are
fantastic here, even better
than some of the songs on
2001’s comeback record,
Get Ready, which some
—Christopher Zambello circles said was a bit hit or
miss. The seductive slowtempo piano-led grooves
of “Recoil” is another stunner, while the synth-heavy
“Shake It Up” is gorgeous
in its delivery with bursts
of guitar layering throughout most of the track.
Instead of sounding like
a last ditch attempt to put
out unreleased material,
New Order
Lost Sirens sounds like a
Lost Sirens
glorious restart. Hopefully,
Warner Music
it’s just a precursor to what
lays ahead.
There was a lot of trepi—Jeff Noller
\
The Joy Formidable
Wolf’s Law
Atlantic
Does anyone understand
the Joy Formidable? Are
they trying to be the
Sounds, Blondie, Joy Division, Interpol (a rip off
version of Joy Division),
My Bloody Valentine?
One thing’s for certain,
they rip off all the above
as showcased in the anthem-like power chords,
soaring keyboards and
orchestra arrangements
that desperately try to
sound larger than life
on “This Ladder is Ours”
– the opening track to
Wolf’s Law, the band’s
second album. They may
have had potential on
2011’s The Big Roar, but
they cling to their influences as if their life depends on them. Just hear
the Garbage-like fuzztuned guitars on “Cholla”
and “Tendons.” It doesn’t
help that Ritzy Bryan’s
vocals add nothing to
the songs, sounding
quite irritating and dull
without any real personality – imagine hearing
a third-rate Leigh Nash
from Sixpence None the
Richer.
And that’s the problem
with the Joy Formidable;
they sound completely
uninteresting and uninspiring for anyone
to really give a shit, let
alone two. “Little Blimp”
with its rush of bass and
drums might sound good
for use during a fellacio or simulated sex sequence, but that’s about
it. The majority of the
songs on the record are
completely banal, lost in
a sea of overly-pretentious U2-styled anthems,
such as dirge that makes
up “Bats,” while “Maw
Maw Song” rips off
hooks from Harry Chapin’s “Cats in the Cradle.”
In other words, the Joy
Formidable, like Glasvegas, is a band with no
discernible identity that
tries hard to sound important and larger than
life, but fail miserably.
That opinion is only
strengthened with the
mess that is Wolf’s Law.
The Welch trio might
mean well, but meaning
well doesn’t translate
into having an original
and inspiring sound.
One listen to the opening number is all the
convincing you’ll need
into this horrid catastrophe.
—Jeff Noller
40 | SFL Onstage |
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Now! - Chris DeWuske

Transcription

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