Rob Wylde of Teenage Casket Company

by Derric Miller
Staff Writer –

Teenage Casket Company lead singer Rob Wylde checked in with Hardrock Haven to talk about their brand new single/video for the track “Without You,” released on Valentine’s Day 2012; their upcoming EP; their “best of” compilation Best Kept Secret; what it’s like playing as a 3-piece; the small but awesome role Hardrock Haven played in the liner notes of Best Kept Secret; how they picked their “best” songs for that release; upcoming tour plans; and a whole lot more.

Teenage Casket Company is one of those fathomless bands; no one who has heard them can fathom how everything they do is not at the top of the charts. Tune in now to re-learn why these guys should be one of your favorite bands, and pick up Best Kept Secret today.

Online: www.jamsyncmusic.com

Ragnarökkr Metal Apocalypse Update

The 2012 edition of Ragnarökkr Metal Apocalypse is scheduled for May 18th – 19th at Mojoes in Joliet, Illinois. Mexican metallers VOLTAX round off the following billing:

ANCIENT CREATION, BLACKSMITH, BORROWED TIME, BROCAS HELM, DAMIEN THORNE, PHARAOH, SKULL FIST, SLAUTER XSTROYES, A SOUND OF THUNDER, VIRGIN STEELE, VOLTAX, VOZ, WIZARD etc. The fest’s website is http://www.ragnarokkrmetal.com/.

BLESSED BY A BROKEN HEART Premiere Video For “Forever”

Anticipated new album, Feel The Power, in stores one week from today, January 24th

Formed in 2003 in Montreal, Canada, BBABH released its first album - All is Fair in Love And War - a year after its inception. 2008 saw the release of Pedal To The Metal on Century Media Records, which was followed by years of incessant touring throughout the US, UK, Europe, Japan and Australia alongside the likes of JUDAS PRIEST, A DAY TO REMEMBER, BRING ME THE HORIZON, MEGADETH, STEEL PANTHER and more. 

 Like any artist with a notable body of work, BLESSED has experienced a near constant evolution over the past eight years, in some part due to lineup changes, but mostly due to a stylistic progression away from pure metalcore in favor of more traditional metal and hard rock. One listen to Feel The Power will confirm that not only is this not the same band that recorded All Is Fair, but that that very fact is their saving grace. Staying ahead of the curve and distancing themselves from the pack is the key to BLESSED BY A BROKEN HEART‘s longevity, and the reason the new album will resonate with even the most veteran headbangers.

Steve Blaze of Lillian Axe

by Derric Miller
Staff Writer –

Lillian Axe guitarist Steve Blaze checked in to talk about their upcoming studio release The Days Before Tomorrow; the journey of finding and recording with a new singer in Brian Jones; specific tracks like “Take the Bullet” and “Gather Up the Snow;” how the new album compares to Psychoschizophrenia; upcoming tour plans; and a whole lot more.

The new album is going to surprise longtime fans, especially those who wondered if they could still “bring it” with their third new singer — yes, they can. The Days Before Tomorrow stands alongside and even tops some of their past catalog. Tune in now to relearn why Lillian Axe is such a damn good band, and pick up The Days Before Tomorrow when it hits the streets on Valentine’s Day.   

Online: www.lillianaxe.com

Paisty Jenny | Head in a Haze

by Derric Miller
Staff Writer –

Cranking a good drinking song can sometimes be more cathartic than going to confession if you are Catholic or refilling your Viagra prescription if you are … one of “those” guys. On Paisty Jenny’s new EP, Head in a Haze, you will hear one of the best party/drinking songs to come out that haven’t been penned by AC/DC—the title track—and a bunch of pure, no-frills rockers that have “hit” slathered all over them. And it’s about damn time …

A few months back, Paisty Jenny released their first single and video from Head in a Haze called “Anything.” If you are familiar whatsoever with Paisty Jenny, many of their songs are not merely put together because the words rhyme; lead singer/guitarist/songwriter Gregg Lee scribes compositions that oftentimes tell a story, a kind of “Everyman” ability that hits you on much more than just a headbanging level. (You can go back and listen to “It’s All Around” or “Better Man” off their prior release Spilling Mercury to understand the point, or “Midlife Crisis” before that.) “Anything” is another one of those songs … a track about cheating, how much it hurts everyone involved, and the video visually depicts all of that carnal misery to a more poignant extent. On top of all the emotional destruction, the song rocks like hell; it’s heavy, it chugs, and the hook on the chorus is brazenly mammoth. “I would have done anything for you, you know this love is true … but you threw it all away!” Unfortunately, everyone has most likely been there, and here’s your new cheating (or non-cheating) anthem in all its glory.

For sheer snarl effect, “Back of Your Hand” is a sleazy, adrenaline-laced song where you’ll hear Lee shout and menacingly beg for abusive love. Even the beginning of the track is foreboding, semi-bluesy, mid-tempo, and the edge slides in Lee’s smooth vocals and chorus hits with a fist-pump to the face. It’s wicked fun, but pales compared to the opening track.

“Head in a Haze” is that aforementioned party song, another storytelling venture about backstage antics, hotel room rutting, and this is the first recording with new guitarist Stan Liberty. If you’ve seen Paisty Jenny live, Liberty brings a metal-tinge to everything he plays, which overall makes this mostly mainstream rock band slightly more rabid, which is just what they needed. Not that they were “safe” before Liberty joined, but hearing him tear into the solos here and on the other tracks brings a toothless grin to your face. With Tye Lovette murdering the drums as he is want to do and his counterpart/bassist Gabe Matthews’ ability to make even “Mary Had a Little Lamb” sound pornographic, everything is ripe and ready to be plucked on Head in a Haze.

Lest you think the band is all about soullessness, drinking and naked Twister, they end the EP with “My Way Home.” Do they get existential? Well, listen to lines like “Singing songs about my life, but there’s nothing to say,” or “Don’t know where I’m going to, but I know where I’ve been,” and you might make a Walden-ish leap. It’s all ear candy, with deft acoustic sections buoyed by electric riffing, and it’s also “uplifting!” The sing-along factor is measureless, and you’ll be humming to it for hours after the final notes fade away …

Head in a Haze is proof again that the more a band tours, the more it records, and the more they collectively LIVE, their music grows exponentially in tandem. Paisty Jenny gets everything right on Head in a Haze. So whether you want to get wasted, cheat, enter into a co-dependent acidic relationship, just be happy, or all of the above … Paisty Jenny has you covered.

Website: www.paistyjenny.com

Track listing:
1. Anything
2. Back of Your Hand
3. Hypocrisy
4. Head in a Haze
5. Sad Songs
6. My Way Home

Label: Direct Hit Records

Genre: Hard rock

Hardrock Haven rating: 9/10

Paisty Jenny

by Derric Miller
Staff Writer

Paisty Jenny checked in with Hardrock Haven to talk about their killer brand new EP Head in a Haze; how they hooked up with producers Michael Beck and Brad Vance; how the new-ish guitarist Stan Liberty entered the fold; the video for “Anything;” how the songwriting process works this time around; upcoming tour plans; hot chicks in killer videos; and a whole lot more.

You really need to hear the new EP Head in a Haze and their new single “Anything” starts a nationwide campaign in January. Tune in to get to know the band who will be your new favorite band, and pick up Head in a Haze immediately.  

www.paistyjenny.com

OUTLOUD release 2011 Christmas Single: “Last Days Of December”!

The melodic Rock quintet from Athens/Greece featuring guitarist/keyboardist Bob Katsionis (Firewind) and New York based singer Chandler Mogel, have just released a Christmas themed single named: 
“Last Days Of December”.

Bob Katsionis comments on the song: Read more

Riot | Immortal Soul

by Justin Gaines
Staff Writer

Now here’s an album many fans doubted would ever materialize. Immortal Soul is the fourteenth studio album from American heavy metal stalwarts Riot. It also marks the return of on-again, off-again vocalist Tony Moore and the rest of the lineup responsible for the 1988 classic Thundersteel. Getting to this point has been a bit turbulent, but the end result is a Riot album a lot of fans are anxious to sink their teeth into.

Of course, Riot wasn’t exactly idle without Moore at the microphone. They put out a series of good albums with Mike DiMeo (now with Creation’s End), including one – 1999’s Sons of Society – that’s about as good as anything the band has ever released. Still, no one who owns a copy of Thundersteel could resist the potential of having Moore back together with guitarist Mark Reale and drummer Bobby Jarzombek. Fortunately, Immortal Soul for the most part lives up to those high expectations. Riot has in the past walked the line between hard rock and heavy metal, but on Immortal Soul the band is firmly on the metal side of things. It’s without a doubt an album that “goes to eleven.” The riffs are speedier, the rhythms heavier, the solos more intricate, and Moore goes from a steady midrange to stratospheric highs left and right.

Immortal Soul best moments are when the band is in full-on Judas Priest mode, like on the soaring, dramatic and powerful “Wings Are For Angels,” “Sins of the Father,” “Fall Before Me” and the stirring title track. This is when you are reminded just how good Riot is. Other times, the over the top shredding and piercing vocals are almost too much to handle, like on the blaring “Riot” and the verses of “Echoes” (the chorus saves that one). The more rock-oriented “Whiskey Man” and “Still Your Man” are solid enough, but they seem somewhat out of place mixed with the album’s power metal songs. Lyrically, the album ranges from the sacred to the profane. Moore has been involved with more overtly Christian side-projects, and you can hear a bit of that here, but it’s never overbearing.

If you’re a Riot fan, there’s really no getting around this one. Immortal Soul is a mandatory purchase. It’s probably not another Thundersteel, but then again, what is? It is, however, another very strong album from a band with a long history of very strong heavy metal releases. It’s also an album that grows on you – a lot – every time you listen to it, so it’s well worth another chance if it doesn’t grab you right away. Immortal Soul is also an album that could potentially draw some new fans to the Riot camp, as it’s an album that could easily appeal to fans of bands like Iced Earth and Primal Fear.

Genre: Heavy Metal

Band:
Mark Reale (g)
Don Van Stavern (b)
Tony Moore (v)
Bobby Jarzombek (d)
Mike Flyntz (g)

Track Listing:
Still Your Man
Riot
Crawling
Wings Are For Angels
Sins of the Father
Fall Before Me
Majestica
Immortal Soul
Insanity
Whiskey Man
Believe
Echoes

Label: SPV

www.riotrockcity.com

Hardrock Haven rating: 8.25/10

Hellspray | Part of the Solution

by Mark Allen
Staff Writer

Long famous for meatballs, blonde porn, and ABBA albums, Sweden has begun exporting a lot of stunningly good melodic hard rock and hair metal the last several years and we thank them for it by cranking up our Crashdiet, Hardcore Superstar, and Crazy Lixx CDs on a regular (daily) basis. So that takes care of the hairspray metal…but what about the heavy metal? Can the Swedes serve the slam-fisted headbangers as well as they did the mousse abuse mavericks? Do they have the moxie to maneuver in the mosh pit as masterfully as they did the melodious?

With a new vocalist on board and a much bigger set of balls than they exhibited on their debut, the Swedish band Hellspray is here to tackle those questions with Part of the Solution, their sophomore album on Perris Records. The serviceable melodic hard rock of their first album has vanished, replaced by…well, serviceable heavy metal.

And therein lies the Achille’s Heel of Hellspray. They play mostly straight up metal mixed with hard rock chops and they play it competently, but rarely do the songs rise up from the rut of mediocrity and make you really pay attention. If you strolled into a room and this album is playing in the background, you won’t cover your ears and scream in pain as if someone just jammed an icepick into your eardrums, but neither will you demand to know the name of the band so you can snag yourself a copy. In other words, Hellspray is more opening act than headliner.

Hellspray’s helping of heavy metal is basically thick, meaty riffs overlaid by melodic guitar leads with plenty of room for some string-scorching solos. A few modern concessions creep in here and there—for example, the production has that modern beefy sound to it and there are some death-style backing growls on “Count Your Blessings”—but for the most part this cleaves close to the old-school category, having more in common with Saxon or Iron Maiden than, say, Trivium or Lamb of God.

The band’s flaws cannot be laid at the feet—or more correctly, the vocal chords—of new singer Anders Moberg, who brings plenty of Bruce Dickinsonian attitude to the arsenal. No, Hellspray’s primary weakness centers around a lack of memorable songs; their hooks and choruses need to be honed to a sharper level. Not sharp in a commercial sense—this kind of retro metal need not strive for pop accessibility—but sharp in a metal way. Take Metallica for instance; “Master of Puppets” is far from mainstream, but the song definitely sticks with you.

Hellspray need to learn this lesson like a bad puppy getting its ass whipped for pissing on the carpet and they come close on several songs. “Mind Over Matter,” for example, is not only one of the heaviest tracks on the album but also features a big, fat hook in the chorus that is not in the least bit commercial but still leaves its mark. Hellspray needs more songs like this and should remember that a metal band cannot live on riffs and attitude alone.

Hellspray will not revolutionize the heavy metal genre nor even inject it with fresh blood, as their overall sound is just too banal and recycled. There are too few gems (“Favorite Game,” “Morphine”), too many fillers (“Free Fall,” “Pandemonium”), and one outright dud (“Filling the Void”) to make this worth the attention of most headbangers. There is potential here, but it has not yet been fully realized. The heavy metal scene may have its fair share of problems, but Hellspray will not be part of the solution.

Genre: Hard Rock / Metal

Band:
Anders Moberg (vocals)
Janusz Fursa (guitars)
Mattias Rydell (guitars)
Nilo Kovacic (bass)
Johan Hall (drums)

Track Listing
1. Spineless
2. Artificial Love
3. Count Your Blessings
4. Mr. Hyde
5. Free Fall
6. Mind Over Matter
7. Filling the Void
8. Favorite Game
9. Pandemonium
10. Morphine

www.hellspray.com

Label: Perris Records

Hardrock Haven rating: 6.7/10

Abnormal Thought Patterns | Abnormal Thought Patterns

by Alissa Ordabai
Staff Writer

Jasun Tipton, Troy Tipton, and Mike Guy of Zero Hour fame have just raised their game a notch higher with the debut release of their new project Abnormal Thought Patterns. And for all you know, this EP could well mark the birth of a new genre. Or at least a brand new, fresh format for interaction of metal, prog, and jazz fusion.

The focus on mind-blowing virtuoso chops is – of course – as in-your-face as ever with these musicians, but this time technique is serving a purpose beyond self-assertion.
Instead, ATM go for full-scale compositional experiments with the actual structures of the genres they engage it – a strategy which turns A-grade instrumental skill into one of the methods for achieving the overall goal.

Bigger acts were attempting similar explorations in 2011 with bombastic, over-the-top, overproduced releases, but here we have a true artisan record which gets down to the nitty-gritty of a musician’s craft without studio trickery, fake emotional pathos or soliciting chart action. The calculated soundscape of complex polyrhythms, constantly changing time signatures, insane neck-break speed fretboard runs, and meticulously planned layers of texture at times may seem too mathematical and unemotional to an average rock fan. But the band is serious enough about its ultimate aim not to get sidetracked into banalities and crowd-pleasing platitudes.

For this reason this record comes through as something genuinely fresh. Whether it’s a simple riff the band takes as a basis of its intricate extrapolations, or the rhythmic structure they develop to see where it would go, the end goal is to invent a new paradigm. And they are half-way there, having created a complex, but at the same time a plain-speaking, unpretentious album – muscular, vigorous, sharply focused, virtuosic, and – most importantly – honest in its purpose.

If ATM will manage to reach their final goal remains to be seen. But despite the compression of the styles they use into a rather narrow – although sharp – focus, they still get damn close to inventing a new style. You can’t escape the sense of new things happening on this record, of entering a territory which so far remained uncharted, and you can’t help noticing how a union of purpose and means of achieving it distinguishes real musicians from businessmen.

Musicians:

Jasun Tipton – guitars and keys
Troy Tipton – bass
Mike Guy – drums
Richard Sharman – guitars

Track Listing:

1. The Machine Within
2. Velocity and Acceleration 1
3. Velocity and Acceleration 2
4. Velocity and Acceleration 3
5. Velocity and Acceleration 4
6. Ulnar Nerve Damage
7. Electric Sun

Label: CynNormal Lab Recordings

Online: http://www.abnormalthoughtpatterns.com

Genre: rock, prog rock, metal, jazz fusion, shred, instrumental

Hardrock Haven rating: 8/10

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