Off the Rails
Best of 2013 in Concert Photos
by Chris A. – Senior Photojournalist — 2013 was a pretty solid year for Rock ‘n’ Roll. As the year comes to a close, Rock ‘n’ Roll photographers are starting to post their “Best of” […]
Month: December 2013
Off the Rails
HARDROCK HAVEN WRITERS’ TOP 10 FOR 2013!
Every year, Hardrock Haven staffers compile their Top 10 best releases. Our writers and photojournalists have diverse interests, allowing Hardrock Haven the ability to cover a broad spectrum of music. This is quite evident when […]
Interviews 2013
Peter Comerford of Cage the Gods
by Matt Karpe – Senior Columnist — Cage the Gods came to the fore at the end of 2013 with their debut EP Favourite Sin. There was a great blend of hard rock which was […]
Music Reviews 2013
Alan Williamson | Another Kind of World Revamp
by John Kindred – Publisher — Instrumental guitarist and composer Alan Williamson is back with his latest studio album. This time around, Williamson pays homage to the 2004 EP that started it all for him […]
Music Reviews 2013
Hardcore Superstar | C’Mon Take On Me
by Justin Gaines – Senior Columnist/News Editor — Hardcore Superstar, the godfathers of the Swedish sleaze rock scene returned earlier this year with a new album, their ninth overall, titled C’Mon Take On Me. In […]
Music Reviews 2013
Varga | Enter The Metal
by Deb Rao – Senior Columnist — Canadian rock band Varga returns to the rock scene with their latest release Enter The Metal. The band reformed in 2011. Enter The Metal was produced by Julius […]
Music Reviews 2013
Sonic Temple | The Nature of Time
by Jenn Carbaugh – Columnist — The South Wales band, Sonic Temple, has added to their discography. Their second album is titled The Nature of Time, and it proves that the talented duo can continue […]
Interviews 2013
Joe Varga of Varga
by Deb Rao – Senior Columnist — Canadian metal band Varga has just released their new CD Enter The Metal. Vocalist and bassist Joe Varga has checked in with Hardrock Haven to discuss Enter The […]
Music Reviews 2013
Armory | Empyrean Realms
by John Kindred – Publisher — The power metal band Armory was founded in 2001 by Chad Fisher (guitars) and Joe Kurland (guitars/drums). The band’s first album The Dawn of Enlightenment was released in 2004 […]
Music Reviews 2013
Kadavar | Abra Kadavar
by Justin Gaines – Senior Columnist/News Editor — The bearded German stoner rock/doom metal/heavy rock power trio Kadavar quickly followed-up their 2012 self-titled debut EP with the full-length Abra Kadavar, which was released earlier this […]
Off the Rails
Bon Jovi’s 30th Anniversary of their Self-titled Debut
by Alex Smith Barbieri – Senior Columnist — Can you believe it been 30 years since Bon Jovi’s first album came out? Yup—their legendary debut with the megahit “Runaway” was released on January 21, 1984. […]
Music Reviews 2013
LaValle | Dear Sanity
by Justin Gaines – Senior Columnist/News Editor — Dear Sanity is the debut offering from melodic hard rock newcomers LaValle. Led by guitarist Eddie LaValle and featuring bassist Paul Logue (Eden’s Curse), vocalist Carsten “Lizard” […]
Music Reviews 2013
Scorpion Child | Scorpion Child
by Justin Gaines – Senior Columnist/News Editor — The folks at Nuclear Blast have been on a roll lately, signing retro rock bands left and right, from Kadavar to Graveyard to Orchid. The latest addition […]
Music Reviews 2013
Ajenda | Unrecognizable
by Joe Mis – Senior Columnist — The Belfast-based quartet known as Ajenda have just released a strong debut CD entitled Unrecognizable. Fans of female-fronted rock will truly enjoy the vocal butt-kicking they’ll receive from […]
Concert Reviews 2013
LIVE! | Jake E. Lee’s Red Dragon Cartel
by Deb Rao – Senior Columnist — December 20, 2013 at Vamp’d in Las Vegas, NV. — After being away from the music scene nearly 20 years, guitar virtuoso Jake E. Lee returned to his […]
Music Reviews 2013
Trucker Diablo | Songs of Iron
by Mark Allen – Senior Columnist — If you relish red-blooded hard rock with a southern-fried swagger, prepare to have your ears steamrolled like an 18-wheeler flattening an armadillo. It has been said that the […]
Interviews 2013
Jake E. Lee Discusses Red Dragon Cartel
by Deb Rao – Senior Columnist — Metal history is about to be made as one of the most prolific guitarists to emerge out of the metal genre Jake E. Lee returns to the music […]
Concert Reviews 2013
LIVE! | Black Sabbath
by Matt Karpe – Columnist — December 14, 2013 at Sheffield Motorpoint Arena in Sheffield, U.K. — Black Sabbath continued their U.K. tour at the Motorpoint Arena on a blustery Saturday evening in Sheffield. As […]
Music Reviews 2013
De Van | Current End of Days
by Derric Miller – Managing Editor — Where the hell did these guys come from? De Van’s new album Current End of Days is only their second release, following the incredible debut Planet Botox, and […]
Concert Reviews 2013
LIVE! | Burning Rain
by Deb Rao – Senior Columnist — December 13, 2013 at Vamp’d in Las Vegas, NV. — Hardrock Haven is always on the lookout for breakout bands. Although LA band Burning Rain has been together […]
Off the Rails
Ten Reasons Nu-metal is an Underrated Genre
by William Bradbury – Guest Columnist — Attempting to do this most likely is going to make me sound like Patrick Bateman in American Psycho, but hear me out: The inner 15-year-old in you wants […]
Music Reviews 2013
Michael Schenker’s Temple of Rock | Bridge the Gap
by Deb Rao – Senior Columnist — Michael Schenker’s Temple of Rock is gearing up for the release of Bridge The Gap on Jan. 7 via Inakustik Label. The album comes in three configurations, including […]
Interviews 2013
Carmine Appice
by Deb Rao – Senior Columnist — One of the most innovative and powerful drummers Carmine Appice has a Rock ‘N’ Roll resume that any musician would be proud of. Carmine has worked with some […]
Music Reviews 2013
Angelica | Thrive
by Joe Mis – Senior Columnist — Thrive is the debut solo album from Angelica Rylin, the lead vocalist of the Swedish rockers The Murder of My Sweet. Following a dream, Angelica has put together […]
Interviews 2013
Tony Harnell: Telling Tales and the TNT Reunion
by Alex Smith-Barbieri – Senior Columnist — Tony Harnell is a member of a very exclusive club called “the best singers in rock.” Along with Steve Perry, Ann Wilson, and a few others, Harnell has […]
Concert Photo Galleries
LIVE! | Emilie Autumn
by Anabel Dflux – Senior Photojournalist — December 9, 2013 at The Troubadour in West Hollywood, CA. — The Troubadour welcomed a very special, unique, exquisite show inside of its doors on December 9th, 2013. […]
Music Reviews 2013
Inner Sanctum | Knowledge at Hand – The Anthology
by Justin Gaines – Senior Columnist/News Editor — The second band to be spotlighted by Divebomb Records’ new Bootcamp series (which focuses on overlooked and forgotten demos, both new and old), is UK-based Inner Sanctum. […]
Music Reviews 2013
Javelin | Fragments of the Inner Shadow
by Justin Gaines – Senior Columnist/News Editor — Fragments of the Inner Shadow is the full-length debut album from German progressive/power metal band Javelin, but unlike a lot of bands making their debut these days, […]
Interviews 2013
Joe Retta of Heaven and Earth
by Alexandra Mrozowska – Columnist — One of the most anticipated hard rock albums of 2013 was Heaven & Earth’s new release. Dig definitely met expectations of those who awaited for a full-length band’s release […]
Music Reviews 2013
Silver Cypher | Adfectus Infernus
by Justin Gaines – Senior Columnist/News Editor — Adfectus Infernus is the fourth full-length release from Cincinnati-based metal band Silver Cypher. The band bills themselves as a “dark power metal” outfit, a term that brings […]
Music Reviews 2013
Atlantean Kodex | The White Goddess
by Justin Gaines – Senior Columnist/News Editor — Three years after they stunned many a doom metal fan with their full-length debut The Golden Bough, Germany’s Atlantean Kodex is back with a much-anticipated follow-up. Their […]
Interviews 2013
Mille Petrozza of Kreator
by Steve Patrick – Senior Columnist — Teutonic thrash standard bearers Kreator recently laid waste to North America as part of the Legends of Thrash tour alongside Overkill and Warbringer. 2013 also saw the release […]
Interviews 2013
Lzzy Hale and Joe Hottinger of Halestorm
by Chris A. & Steve Patrick – Senior Photojournalist / Senior Columnist — On the heels of a European tour supporting Alter Bridge, Pennsylvanian rockers Halestorm are now in the middle of their own run […]
Music Reviews 2013
Boston | Life, Love & Hope
by Deb Rao – Senior Columnist — In the early ‘70s and ‘80s, one band that emerged out of Beantown and sold over 31 million records was Boston. Boston was the brainstorm of MIT Graduate […]
Concert Photo Galleries
LIVE! | Halestorm
by Chris A. – Senior Photojournalist — December 8, 2013 at LC Pavilion in Columbus, Ohio — Halestorm fronted by energetic vocalist and guitarist Lzzy Hale, alongside her brother drummer Arejay, guitarist Joe Hottinger and […]
Music Reviews 2013
Red Dragon Cartel | Red Dragon Cartel
by Alissa Ordabai – Senior Columnist — Fifteen years after he last released original material, Jake E. Lee comes out of semi-retirement with a coup of an album. The tunes are brand new, and so […]
Interviews 2013
Interview with Guitar Virtuoso Michael Abdow
by John Kindred – Publisher — Guitar virtuoso, Michael Abdow, currently on the road with Fates Warning, has just released his second instrumental solo album Life Symbolic on Shredguy Records. Hardrock Haven talks with Michael […]
Music Reviews 2013
Hammerforce | Access Denied
by Matt Karpe – Columnist — Russian sextet Hammerforce bring their power/progressive metal to the table with their second album Access Denied. Singing almost completely in their native language, it is an album that people […]
Music Reviews 2013
Amadeus Awad | Schizanimus
by Alissa Ordabai – Senior Columnist — Self-iteration has always been the biggest sin of rock songwriting. Some bands allow the same tune recur once in a while – rehashed and released under a different […]
Concert Reviews 2013
LIVE! | Faster Pussycat
by Deb Rao – Senior Columnist — November 30, 2013 at Vampd in Las Vegas, NV. — What better way to celebrate Thanksgiving weekend than enjoying some Glam Rock with Faster Pussycat at Vampd? Faster […]
Music Reviews 2013
Rocka Rollas | Metal Strikes Back
by Justin Gaines – Senior Columnist/News Editor — Just when you think there can’t possibly be any more songs about heavy metal, Swedish traditional metal warriors Rocka Rollas return with a new offering to prove […]
Music Reviews 2013
Manta Ray | Visions of Towering Alchemy
by Justin Gaines – Senior Columnist/News Editor — The first band in the Divebomb label’s new Bootcamp series, which spotlights overlooked and forgotten demos (both new and old), is Dallas-based power metal band Manta Ray. […]
Interviews 2013
Rob Dukes of Generation Kill & Exodus
by Steve Patrick – Senior Columnist — When he’s not fronting the legendary thrash band Exodus, Rob Dukes is also the driving force behind the thrash revival outfit Generation Kill. Consisting of Dukes on vocals, […]
Music Reviews 2013
Julia Kosterova | Springs of Time
by Alissa Ordabai – Senior Columnist — You have to admire the sheer honesty of someone who releases an EP instead of a full-length album simply because this is how much top-drawer material they have […]
Music Reviews 2013
Ascension | Far Beyond The Stars
by Joe Mis – Senior Columnist — Far Beyond The Stars is the long awaited full length debut release from Soctland’s Ascension. It may have taken almost a decade, but this power metal/speed metal release […]
Music Reviews 2013
Nästy Crüe | Rock’N’Roll Nation EP
by Alexandra Mrozowska – Columnist — Nasty Crüe – spelled with the obligatory infamous “metal umlaut” (or röck döt, if you prefer) – was founded in Poland in 2007. The quartet (earlier, a quintet) is, […]
Interviews 2013
Concert Photo Galleries
LIVE! | The Iris
by Anabel Dflux – Senior Photojournalist — November 30, 2013 at Bar Sinister in Hollywood, CA. Known as one of Hollywood’s most infamous gothic nightclubs, Bar Sinister welcomed Arizona locals The Iris to their stage […]
Music Reviews 2013
The Letter Black | Rebuild
by Joe Mis – Senior Columnist — Rebuild is the latest release from Christian rockers The Letter Black, and a solid release it is. Fronted by the husband and wife team of Mark and Sarah […]
Music Reviews 2013
Red Line Chemistry | Tug of War
by Mark Allen – Senior Columnist — This album is a game-changer. Not so much for the modern hard rock genre itself, but definitely for Red Line Chemistry themselves. They have hit their stride and […]
Concert Reviews 2013
LIVE! | Joanne Shaw Taylor
by Alissa Ordabai – Senior Columnist — November 28, 2013 at Shepherd’s Bush Empire in London, U.K. — Some concerts take off after a song or two, some — toward the middle, some – just […]
Concert Photo Galleries
LIVE! | Slayer with Gojira and 4ARM
by Jonna Ambur – Senior Photojournalist — November 26, 2013 at Oakdale Theater in Wallingford, CT. — Synonymous with metal. Icons in music. They are … Slayer! Tonight, Tommy Araya, Kerry King, Paul Bostaph and […]
Concert Photo Galleries
LIVE! | Airbourne
by Christophe Pauly – Photojournalist — November 24, 2013 at Ancienne Belgique in Brussels, Belgium — Airbourne is currently touring in Europe in support of their third studio album Black Dog. Band: Joel O’Keeffe – […]