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In this Music Monday blog, we are going to get into the latest record from White Wizzard. It is called “The Devil’s Cut.” We are going to get into the history and then the music off this new record. Let us get into the history.
History:
White Wizzard was founded in 2007 by bass player, Jon Leon. He was looking to bring back the classic hard rock and metal sound to fans looking for it. The band released their first EP, which was called “White Wizzard,” in 2008. Even with some success at first, the band loss three of their orignal members. They went on to start a new band called Holy Grail that has similar music style. Jon Leon signed a contract with Earache Records and then started to search for members for the second line up. After filling the second line up, the band released their second EP, which is called “High Speed GTO,” in 2009. In 2010, the band released their first full length record, which was called “Over The Top.” White Wizzard was nominated for Best New Artist at Metal Hammer Golden Gods. In 2011, the band released their second record, which was called “Flying Tigers.” The band in 2013 released their third record, which was called “The Devil’s Cut.” White Wizzard put out their new single, which was called “Marathon Of Dreams,” on their new label White Wizzard Records. This is first time in history of the band that features Jon Leon on lead singer and Devin Lebsack. This band has went through several line up changes after the release of “The Devil’s Cut.” Let us get into the music.
Track List:
Forging The Steel
There is a nice classic hard rock driving music at the beginning of the song. I love the guitar work at the beginning of the song. This music sounds like something out of the late 1970’s to early 1980’s. This is a nice intro song to the record.
Strike The Iron
I love the blend from the first track to the second track. The music pace has picked up. The singer sounds like someone from Riot or Saxon. I love the lyrics and singing. This song has a sound like it came right from Riot. I love the short guitar solo. They wrote a nice opening track for this record. There is a nice expanded guitar solo towards the back half of the song. I love the music towards the end of the music. It sounds like two different songs on the back half of the song.
Kings Of The Highway
I love the slower pace of this song. I love singing and lyrics. I love the theme of this song. Jon put some thought on the lyrics. He did a great job on it. This is a great song but I feel it should be a little faster. I love the guitar solo towards the end of the song. There is a guitar solo to take the song out. It has a nice fade out.
Lightening In My Hands
The beginning of the song remains me some old school Iron Maiden music. There is some nice guitar and bass playing. Even the singing remains me of Bruce. I love the lyrics. I love the guitar solo towards the end. I also love the bass playing. There is another nice well written guitar solo towards the end of the song. I love the trade-off on the guitar solos.
Steal Your Mind
There is a nice slight dark tone guitar playing at the beginning of the song. I love the slow down to bring the singer with some nice guitar work. There is some nice singing and well written lyrics. This is a great song but I just feel it is too slow for my taste. I love the short guitar solos throughout the song. It is becoming too much now. This is too long but it is a great song. I just wish it was a little faster. I love how it the pace finally picks up towards the back half of the song.
The Devil’s Cut
I love the drumming and how the guitar playing is at the beginning. The shinning light is the bass playing. It is some awesome playing. I am not too sure on how I feel about the singing from the singer. I love the lyrics. At the beginning, I just felt he was too low but as the song moves on it did get better.
Torpedo Of Truth
I love the pace and music at the beginning. There is a some nice drumming on this track. There is some nice guitar playing with some nice guitar solos. I love the singing with the back up singing. The lyrics are well written but I am not liking the title of the song that much along with the chorus. I am really not liking this song so much. I could do without it on this record.
Storm Chaser
I am loving the bass playing and drumming at the beginning. I am not liking the guitar playing so far on this song. The singing seems a little off and not really fitting with the song The lyrics are really below average. They could do so much better. Some of these songs on this record are starting to sound the same. There is a nice guitar solo towards the end of the song. It seems every song on this record does not need a guitar solo. This song could live without a guitar solo.
The Sun Also Rises
I am loving the acoustic guitar at the beginning. It is about time. I have been waiting for one song like this. I love the bass playing in the background. I love the singing and lyrics. The main part of the song sounds just like an old Iron Maiden song. The singing like some from White Lion. I am really liking this song. It has a nice driving song. This song is way too long unless. I love change of the music at the half way point. Oh! Once again another guitar solo. I love how they ended this record.
Original Line Up:
Wyatt Anderson – Lead Vocals
Jon Leon – Bass And Guitar
Erik Kluiber – Guitar
Jesse Appelhans- Drums
Current Line Up:
Joseph Michael – Vocals
Jon Leon – Guitar And Bass
Jake Dreyer – Lead Guitar
Will Wallner – Guitar
Giovanni Durst – Drums
Here is their website and twitter addresses:
Website: www.facebook.com/WhiteWizzard
Twitter: @whitewizzard
Closing, I have enjoyed this band since their start and I will always buy their music. I have to say this record has some great songs but overall it is pretty disappointing. I know in the past hard rock and metal music had guitar solos in their songs. I just felt they went over the top on the guitar solos. No to plug one of their songs. The singer is spot on to the original singer. I am pretty worried about this band and their future. They only have two members in this band at this time. I know this band went through several line up changes but I hope they can get it together again. There is some well written songs on this record and there are songs you will be skipping. Go get some! Drink it! Enjoy it! Metal it! \m/
Cheers!
Bill DJ Weiser
Email: djweiser13@comcast.net
Twitter: @djweiser
Instagram: @djweiser13
In this Music Monday blog, we are going to get into the latest record from Evile. The record is Skull. We are going to get into the history and then into the music. Let us get into the history.
History:
Exile was formed in 2004 as a cover band but behind the scenes, they started to write some orignal songs. In 2004, the band released their first EP, which is called “All Hallows Eve.” In 2006, they released their second EP, which is called “Hell Demo.” Both of these EPs were limited runs of like 200 to 350 units each. The band went on tour with Excodus in parts of Europe. The band signed a contract with Earache in 2006. In that same year, they changed their name from Exile to Evile. In 2007, the band started to record their first full length record called “Enter The Grave.” It received some great ratings from the media. They toured with several different bands throughout 2007 to 2009. I am talking main acts like Megadeth to Machinehead. In 2009, the band began work on their second record, which was called “Infected Nation.” The band’s record had a pretty successful first week of sales. Later part of 2009, Mike Alexander, who was the bass player, was rushed to the hospital and later passed away. The band did two tribute shows for their falling band mate. They did cover songs of Mike’s favorite bands or songs. The band picked Joel Graham as their new bass player in December of 2009. They announced US tour for 2010. They supported acts like Kreator and Overkill. The Overkill tour is where I saw them and I have been a fan since. I just wished they played longer. After, they finished their set. I went down to their merch stand and brought one of each of their CDs in their music career. I know it was only two but that is saying something about the band. The band started to headline some fests or on the main stage. In 2010, the band started to work on their third record, which was called “Five Serpent’s Teeth.” The record was released in later part of 2011. There is one song, which is “In Memoriam,” on this record that is a tribute to their first and fallen bass player. In 2013, the band began working on “Skull” and it would be their fourth record. After the record was done, Ol Drake, who is their orignal lead guitar player, left the band. He was replaced by Piers Donno-Fuller in 2014. Let us get into the music.
Track List:
Underworld
There is some sound effects at the beginning of the song. The drums and guitars roll in with fast and impact to your speakers. It is fast just like the old school Evile. This is thrash metal at its finest. Matt’s singing has always remind of James from Metallica. This is what Metallica is supposed to sound like today. I love the lyrics and they are well written. There is a nice thrash metal guitar solo towards the back half of this song. It is well written. There is a nice finish to this song and the opening track. This is a solid start to this record.
Skull
There is some nice heavy music at the beginning. I am loving the drums and bass playing at the beginning of this song. Matt has some nice in face singing. I love the lyrics and some nice melody. The music change in the midpoint of the song. The guitar playing is pretty goof at this point of the song. This band is living up to the old school thrash metal. There is a nice guitar solo with some nice time and rhythm changes to it in the back half of the song. I have always love when they put a ton of reverb on back up singers to give that strong sound to their vocals.
The Naked Sun
I love the guitar playing at the beginning of the song. The music is pretty solid. There is some nice lyrics and some great singing at points. I love the length of these songs. They are just about right for this style of music. I love the start to the guitar solo. It goes into a full force towards the end of the song. Ol out did himself on this guitar solo. The drumming is hard hitting. These guys can sing and they are just screamers.
Head Of The Demon
I love the music at the beginning of this song. The guitar playing on this record has been awesome. I am glad to see a band take their time writing some good tunes. I love the slower pace of this song compare to the beginning of this record. Matt took his time and put down some well thought lyrics. I am loving the back up singing on this record so far. Nice and well written guitar solo is towards the end of the song. I love double bass on the drums but that was a little out-of-place. The double bass is so out-of-place and it over took the guitar solo to a point.
Tomb
I love the acoustic guitar at the beginning. The drumming is well place and I love the style of it. I love the singing from Matt and he wrote some nice lyrics. I love how the music is taking shape. I love the build up to the heavier part of the song. I love how they returned to the acoustic guitar music towards the end of the song. It turns into a nice guitar solo.
Words Of The Dead
I love the music at the beginning of the song. There is some nice drumming and guitar playing. I love the singing with multiple singers. I love the bass breaks and the speed of the music. There is a nice guitar solo towards the end of the song. There is some nice lyrics and singing.
Outsider
There is some nice new school thrash metal style of music at the beginning. There is some nice well written lyrics. I am not sure I feel about the back up singing on this song. Matt’s singing is solid but I just feel he could sing a little be more than his singing talking style. There is a talking part that not go well with the song. I love the scream of “Outsider” and then the guitar solo comes into full focus. I love the music on this song.
What You Become
I love the music at the beginning. I am loving the drumming on this song. Matt’s singing fit nicely on this song. There is some well written lyrics. I love how the lead singer blends with the back up singers and back to the lead. It has a nice touch. It is hard to describe. There is an awesome guitar solo towards the end of the song.
New Truth Old Lies
I love the short acoustic guitar and hard-hitting of the heavy music that came in afterwards. I love the rhythm and melody from the singer. There is some nice lyrics. I love the guitar solo towards the middle of the song. This is part where double bass makes a little bit more sense. This is a great song to finish this great record. Evile did a great job on the music and lyrics.
Orignal Line Up:
Matt Drake – Lead Vocals and Rhythm Guitar
Ol Drake – Lead Guitar
Mike Alexander – Bass Guitar
Ben Carter – Drums
Current Line Up:
Matt Drake – Lead Vocals and Rhythm Guitar
Ol Drake – Lead Guitar
Joel Graham -Bass Guitar
Ben Carter – Drums
Here is their website and twitter addresses:
Website: www.evile.co.uk
Twitter: @evileuk
Closing, I love this band and I am glad they brought back the old thrash metal sound and music. Of course, they put their twisted on it. Overall, this is a great record. I love how they kept true to themselves. Matt has done a great job on the lyrics. Some of the singing was ok but very good overall. I will be adding this record to my line up of records to play once in a while. There is some solid drums and guitar playing. I love the guitar solo but with Ol leaving the group. How will the music and sound along with guitar solos change? Will this band change too much? I hope Evile stays as close to what they were on all their records. They will change a bit because of the different and new players in the group. I am looking forward to their new music in future. This is a great band and album. I highly recommend it. Go get some! Drink it! Enjoy it! Metal it! \m/
Cheers!
Bill DJ Weiser
Email: djweiser16@gmail.com
Twitter: @djweiser
Instagram: @djweiser13
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In this Mondy Music blog, we are going to get into the latest record from The Black Dahlia Murder from Michigan. The record is Everblack which is their sixth studio record in their music career. We are going to get into the history and then the music. Here is the history.
History
The Black Dahlia Murder was formed in late part of 2000 in Waterford, Michigan. It was named after unsolved murders. They were signed to Metal Blade Records in 2003. Ryan Williams joined the band to replace David Lock just in time to record their first record, which is “Unhallowed.” The band toured and then released their second record, which was “Miasma,” in 2005. After the tour for Miasma, Zach Gibson, who was the drummer, and Pierre Langlois, who was drummer, left the band. Pierre was on drums after Gibson. The band replace Zach Gibson with Shannon Lucas. In 2007, the band released their third record, which was “Nocturmal.” The band went on a World Tour with Cannibal Corpse to support their new record and celebrate 25 years of Metal Blade Records. In 2008, they joined tour with several different metal bands for Summer Slaughter Tour. After the tour, John K guitarist left the band and was replaced with Ryan Knight in 2009. In the later part of 2009, the band released their fourth record, which was “Deflorate.” They tour to support the record. In 2010, they kept on touring while writing their next record. In 2011, they released their fifth record, which was “Ritual.” In 2012, the band gets another line up changes. Max Lavelle replaces Ryan Williams on bass. Shannon Lucas steps down as the drummer and was replaced by Alan Cassidy. In 2013, the band released their new record called “Everblack.” Let us get into the music.
Track List:
In Hell is Where She Waits For Me
Heavy and hard-hitting music at the beginning from the drums, bass, and guitars. There is some talking but I can not make it out because it is not loud enough. The lead singer comes in screaming. The guitar playing on the main part is solid. The singing is the type you can barely understand what he is saying. The lyrics that I have picked are pretty solid. There is some nice back up singing too. I love time changes towards the middle part of the song. There is some nice double bass from the drums about that time. This is a pretty solid song. I love slower guitar solo at the beginning of it and then it picks up towards the middle and end of the solo.
Goat Of Departure
I love the guitar playing at the beginning. The drumming is good but it starting to sound the same from song to song. I love the lyrics they wrote for this song. I really not a fan of the back up singing on this song. I love the guitar solo towards the end of the song.
Into The Everblack
I love the guitar work and the drums fit perfectly even though it is the same beat. It changes a bit when the singer comes into the song. I hate the chopping guitar playing. I get it fits but it sounds very messing during the main part of the song. I love the keyboard part in this song. It gives a break to the same old in the song and the record. The guitar playing coming out of it. It is some pretty impressive playing. It leads into a short guitar solo.
Raped in hatred By Vines of Thorn
I love the guitar playing at the beginning and the slower drum beat. This song has a nice pace and I love it. It gives you a different feeling unlike the rest of the record. I love double bass but this is a bit overkill. I love the lyrics and the singing. The listeners can understand the singers a bit. I do not know how I feel about the lyrics but it is what it is. There is a pretty well written guitar solo towards the end of the song.
Phantom Limb Masturbation
The song starts with the vocals in your face. This song echos the songs at the beginning. The drumming slight different but about the same. I love the lyrics they placed on this song. I love the chorus music. There is a nice short guitar solo at the quarter point of this song. There is another guitar solo towards the middle part of the song that is a little longer than the last one. This one is a little well thought about it. I love the pace of the music and solo itself.
Control
Just like the last song, the vocals start it out but the music is right there after the start of the song. I cannot pick up the lyrics. There is some well written guitar riffs on this song. The drums are pretty complex and well written. He has been kicking some serious ass throughout this record. This song is short and to the point. There is a nice guitar solo towards the end of the song and I love how the guitar solo keeps on going to the end of the song.
Blood Mine
I love the guitar playing and bass too. The drums can let off on the double bass at least one song please. Asides that, I have been loving the drums towards the end of this record. I cannot understand the vocals so I cannot pick up the lyrics. I love the title of the song. I am not sure on the duo singers at least on this song. There is a guitar solo towards the end of the song but it is short and sweet to the point.
Every Rope A Noose
Oh my God, I love the drumming at the beginning. It has pretty awesome beat. I love the guitar playing. I love the singing but I cannot understand the singers. This song has a nice fast pace and it is perfect towards the end of the record. The double bass makes so much sense at this point of the song. There is a well placed guitar solo towards the end of the song. There is a nice piano playing at the end that comes into full focus to end the song.
Their Beloved Absentee
I love the singing from the group of singers at the beginning but they were so far in the background and volume is to low. This is a straight driving song. It has a nice pace. This is a classic extreme metal song. I love the pace. I love the music on this track. I love the guitar solo towards the end and it is well placed.
Map Of Scars
There is some nice well-written music from the drums and guitars. The bass playing is pretty simple but it is perfect. I cannot understand the singer so I cannot judge lyrics. I guess I could look up the lyrics on the net. This is a perfect song to finish a great record from this Michigan band. Great song and nice ending to this record.
Original Line Up:
Trevor Strnad – Vocals
Brian Eschbach – Guitar
John Kempainen – Guitar
David Lock – Bass
Cory Grady – Drums
Current Line Up:
Brian Eschbach – Guitars
Alan Cassidy – Drums
Max Lavelle – Bass
Ryan Knight – Guitars
Trevor Strnad – Vocals
Here is their website and twitter addresses:
Website: www.facebook.com/theblackdahliamurderofficial
Twitter: @bdmmetal
Closing, overall, this is a great record and I really enjoyed this song. I wish I could understand the singers a bit more but I understand because it is the singing style. There is some nice music on this great. I kind of wish drums were a little bit different from song to sing but that is hardest job in this band. I get what he is trying to do and it is pretty limited. They place guitar solos in the right spots to break up the song. I love how some times the guitar solos keep going during main part of the song at the end. It gives a nice and different sound. Great Job! It is a nice touch for someone that does not like this singing type but love the music. It seems every song of this type of metal needs a guitar solo to break up song. If they do not put the guitar solos in the songs, the songs will become white noise. I love this band and I cannot wait to hear their next record. I highly recommend this band and this record. Go get some! Drink it! Enjoy it! Metal it! \m/
Cheers!
Bill DJ Weiser
Email: djweiser16@gmail.com
Twitter: @djweiser
Instagram: @djweiser13
In this Music Monday Blog, we are going to get into the latest and second record from Halestorm. It is called “The Strange Case Of…” and was released early last year. We are going to get into the history and then the music from Halestorm. Let us get into the history.
History
Halestorm started back in 1997 from Lzzy and Arejay, who are brother and sister. The two put out an EP, which was called “Don’t Mess With The Time Man” in 1999. Their father played bass for the band before Josh Smith in 2004. The band was finished up the band with Joe Hottinger, who joined in 2003. The band signed record contract with Atlantic Records in 2005. They released their second EP, which is out of print like their first one, and it was called “One And Done.” Their full length record, which was self titled, was released in 2009. Their first single “I Get Off” received heavy air play. They released several more singles off this record. They are also known to tour a ton and they have toured with several different bands. In 2010, they released their first live record, which was called “Live In Philly 2010.” In 2011, they released their third EP, which was cover record, and it was called “ReAnimate.” In 2012, they released their fourth EP, which is called “Hello, It’s Mz. Hyde.” This EP was a sneak peek on their second full length record, which is called “The Strange Case Of…” “The Strange Case Of…” was released in 2012 and is the record that featured on this blog. In 2013, Halestorm won a Grammy for Best Hard and Metal Performance Category. They became the first female fronted band to win and be nominated for this award. “Freak Like Me” is the first single to reach #1 on Billboard Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks in 2013. Let us get into the music.
Song List:
Love Bites (So Do I)
This is the first single off this record. There is a nice pace with some killer to hard-hitting drums. There is a nice guitar and bass playing. I love the singing from Lzzy. The lyrics are not my style but they are well written. There is a nice guitar solo towards the end.
Mz. Hyde
This is the fifth and final single off this record. I love the guitar and drumming at the beginning. I love her singing. I love the lyrics. The music is pretty solid. There is some nice time changes throughout this song. The ending is a little weird.
I Miss The Misery
This is the second single off this record. I love the music and singing at the beginning. I love the lyrics. Lzzy singing is pretty solid. I love this song. The ending is pretty solid.
Freak Like Me
This is the third single off this record. I love the guitar playing so far on this song. The singing is pretty solid with some great lyrics. I love the lyrics. The music is pretty solid. I just feel the drums are pretty calm for a Halestorm song. The guitar solo towards the end is pretty solid.
Beautiful With You
This song is off pace with the record. It is a good song but it is not their style. I just feel the record company made them make a song like this. It is good. It is too mainstream for a band that were themselves make the mainstream. I am not a fan of this song.
In Your Room
What the hell is up with the last two songs? I cannot listen to it. The lyrics are too thoughtful for this band. The music is solid if it was 1984 and they were Heart.
Break In
Again!!! I am starting to get pretty upset. This one is kind of in their style than the last two songs. I have a feeling half of this record. I will not be listening to again. I will be passing on this one too.
Rock Show
Yay!!! Finally a rock song. I love the guitar playing and the music at the beginning. I do not like the lyrics but the music is pretty solid. I love the bass playing. There was a solid guitar solo towards the end of the song.
Daughters Of Darkness
The beginning of this song is pretty dark. The music is pretty solid. I am not a fan of the lyrics but the song is pretty solid. I will listen to it again.
You Call Me A Bitch Like It’s A Bad Thing
I love the drumming and the music at the beginning. There is a guitar part that reminds me of something of an Alice In Chains song. I love the lyrics and they are pretty well written. I love the short guitar solo towards the middle of the song. I feel this song needs some kind of music break. It is the same thing over and over. It is kind of boring towards the end of the song.
American Boys
I love the guitar playing and drumming. It has a nice pace and great music. I am not a fan of the lyrics and it kind of kills the song for me. I will pass on this song.
Here’s To Us
This is the fourth single off this record. I love the acoustic guitar. I love the music and it has a nice pace for a slower song. The lyrics are pretty solid and well thought. I love this song.
Here’s To Us (Guest Version)
The only different from the first version. I love the guitar solo and there are different singers available and singing. I love this version better.
Here is their website and twitter addresses:
Website: www.halestormrocks.com
Twitter: @halestorm
Closing, I have been a fan of this band since their first record. I loved their first record. I was pretty excited to see them do a few EP’s and this one, which is their second record. It took me a long time to write a review and I am sorry to my readers and the band. I enjoy doing these music reviews but they are pretty time-consuming. I will get better when it is all said in done. Anyways, this record starts out pretty solid. I am loving it until I made it to the middle part of the record. There were three songs I could do without. They are not my style of music. I always look at this band as a hard rock to slight metal band. They are not a pop act and I felt those songs they were trying to be a pop act. If anything how they were themselves on their first record, mainstream music came to them. They are good songs if you like that type of music. The back half of the record was pretty solid with some rock tunes. The lyrics overall was average. There were some songs where they were above average. Overall, I was pretty disappointed with this record. There are some songs I will be listening to again and I enjoyed them. Give this band a listen. They are still upcoming band. I believe their next two records will be awesome. Go get some! Drink it! Enjoy it! Metal it! \m/
Cheers!
Bill DJ Weiser
Email: djweiser13@comcast.net
Twitter: @djwieser
Instagram: @djweiser13
In this Music Monday Blog, we are going to get into the latest from Shinedown. It is Amaryllis. We will get into the history and then the music from this new record. Let us get into the history.
History:
Shinedown was formed in 2001 in Jacksonville, Florida with members, who are Brent Smith (Lead Singer), Brad Stewart (Bass), Jason Todd (Guitars), and Barry Kerch (Drums). Shinedown’s first record, which was “Leave A Whisper,” was released in 2004 under Atlantic Records. Shinedown’s second record, which was “Us And Them, was released in 2005. Their third record was “The Sound Of Madness.” This was their most successful record to date. This is also the frist record without Brad Stewart on bass. Eric Bass, who is bass player, replaced Brad Steward. and Zach Myers, who is a guitar player, joins the band. Shinedown’s fourth record, which is Amaryllis, marked the first time band history Zach Myers as the only guitar player and the new one in this band. Let us get into the music.
Song List:
Adrenaline
There is some nice drumming at the beginning. I am loving the music and drumming in this song. The singing is pretty strong. I love the pace of this song. There is some awesome lyrics. This is a great opening track. The drummer is playing out of his mind. I love the focus on him on this song. I love the short and to the point guitar solo towards the end of the song.
Bully
This was the first single of this record. I love the guitar work at the beginning. I love the bass playing during the main part of the song. There is a nice pace on “Bully.” I am not really a fan of the lyrics but it is still a pretty good song. I love the melody and the singing on this song. There is some strong back up vocals on “Bully.” I love the guitar solo towards the end of the song.
Amaryllis
This is the title track of this record. I love the acoustic guitar at the beginning. I have always loved his singing voice. I love the backbone of the band. The bass and drum playing is solid. This song kind of reminds me of something that Goo Goo Dolls would have written. I love the lyrics. This is a pretty solid song. There is a nice guitar break towards the back half of “Amaryllis.”
Unity
I love the keyboard playing at the beginning with a nice solid playing from the guitar, bass, and drumming over the top of it. I love the singing and some pretty good lyrics. I love how the mix a disturbed and acoustic guitar. There is a nice melody. There is a nice guitar solo towards the end of the song. I just wished it was a little bit longer. I love the ending of “Unity.”
Enemies
I love the effects on the guitar at the beginning of “Enemies.” I love the music and melody. This is my favorite song on this record so far. I love the lyrics. I love the ending of “Enemies.”
I’m Not Alright
I love the music. I am not really a fan of the lyrics but the singing on “I’m Not Alright.” There is some playing from the drummer and bass player. This song seems like it needs a guitar solo to break up the singing a bit. I just feel this song could be a little bit longer.
Nowhere Kids
There is some solid music. I love the singing and lyrics are average. I love the melody from the singer. I just feel the same way about this song to the last one. I just feel it could use a guitar solo about the mid-point of the song to break up the singing a bit. There is nothing wrong with the singing. I just hearing too much of it.
Miracle
I love the guitar work at the beginning. There is some nice simple drum beat. I love the singing over the top of it. I love the music. I love the lyrics. They put some thought on this song. This is a great rebound song from the last two songs. I just wished there was a guitar solo. It is still a solid song.
I’ll Follow You
I love the piano playing on this song. There is some solid singing and well written lyrics. I love the music on the main part of the song. I love the pace of this song. Here is a song that does not need a guitar solo. The guitar solo that is on this song is pretty good and well placed. It did what I wanted in the last few songs.
For My Sake
I love the guitar playing at the beginning. I love what they did in the main part of the song. There is some nice lyrics and melody. I love the pace of “For My Sake.” This is one of my favorite songs off this record. I love the guitar playing on this song.
My Name (Wearing Me Out)
There is some nice music at the beginning of this song. I love heavy drumming on this song. I love the pace of this song. The bass playing is solid. There is some nice lyrics with some feeling and soul to it. This is a nice driving song. I could get some speeding tickets with this song playing.
Through The Ghost
I love the acoustic guitar at the beginning. There is some nice music on “Through The Ghost.” I love the singing and the lyrics. This is a nice song to finish “Amaryllis.” The only problem I have with this song is that it is a little too long. I love the ending of it.
Line Up:
Here is their website and twitter addresses:
Website: www.shinedown.com
Twitter: @Shinedown
Closing, I love Shinedown. I do not understand why I did not get into them right away. It took me a little time but I have been a pretty big fan since. There are some pretty good songs off this record. It is not like their last record, which was “Sound Of Madness.” I still enjoyed it, however, I just feel there were too many filler songs to get the record out. These are songs they put on the record to get it out to the market. I just wished there were more guitar solos towards the end of the record. There are songs that need solos and there are songs that do not need them. There were a few songs screaming for guitar solos. This band has not put out a band record and this one is not one. They are working on their next one but I recommend you picking up this one to get yourself through until it comes out. Go get some! Drink it! Enjoy it! Metal it! \m/
Cheers!
Bill DJ Weiser
Email: djweiser13@comcast.net
Twitter: @djweiser
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Thanks For The Support!
Bill DJ Weiser
In this Music Monday Blog, we are going to get into the latest studio record from Avenged Sevenfold. “Hail To The King” is their sixth studio record from this band. We are going to get into the history of this band and then the music. Let us get into the history.
History
The band was formed in 1999 at Huntington Beach, California. The founding members of this band are M. Shadows, Zacky Vengeance, The Rev, and Matt Wendt. M. Shadows came up with the band name from the Bible’s story Cain And Adel. Justin Sane replace Matt Wendt before they record their first record. Dameon Ash replace Justin Sane around 2001. Justin was checked into the hospital because of drinking too much cough syrup and try to commit suicide. The band recorded their first record, which was “Sounding The Seventh Trumpet” in 2001. Most of the members were around eighteen and still in high school. Johnny Christ replaced Dameon Ash and release their second record, which was “Walking The Fallen.” In 2004, the band after touring several times on the Vans Warped Tour signed with Warner Bros. Records. In 2005, the band released their third studio record and their first under a major label. The record was called “City Of Evil.” They played on Ozzfest in 2006 and also won Best New Artist at the MTV Music Awards. They returned to the Van’s Warped Tour. “City Of Evil” gave them a few hits on the modern rock charts. In 2007, the band released their fourth studio record, which was self-titled. Two years later, their drummer “The Rev” was found dead. At this time, band members in several interviews thought about disbanding and breaking up. However, Mike Portnoy, who was with Dream Theater at time and now with Winery Dogs, stepped up to record the drum tracks for “Nightmare,” the band and the music community loved the fact the music sounded like The Rev was playing drums. “Nightmare” was released in 2010 and it was their fifth record. Mike was not the replacement of “The Rev” and the band found a new drummer, who was Arin Ilejay. In 2013, the band release “Hail To The King,” which was the first record with Arin Ilejay on drums. Let us get into the music.
Track List:
Shepherd Of Fire
There is some sound effects of rain and a bell to start the song. The guitar comes in with the drums. This is pretty good beginning to the record and this song. The bass playing is pretty good. M Shadows has a nice melody and lyrics. I have to be honest. I kept on hearing how this record is supposed to be different from the rest of their records. To me, it sounds like all their old music. There is a nice guitar solo towards the middle of the song. Their new drummer has about the same drumming style as their old drummer. I love how they ended this song with a nice fade out.
Hail To The King
“Hail To The King” is the first single off this record and is the name of the record. The guitar solo at the beginning is like something off this first few records. The second guitar comes in but it is a little different. I love that guitar riff. The second guitar riff reminds me of something that Metallica would have written. I do not like the fact that the other guitar player is playing a guitar solo throughout this song. That is a little too much. I love the lyrics on this song. M Shadows has melody like something off Metallica’s Load and Re-Load. There is a extended guitar solo towards the back half off the song. I love the back up singing.
Doing Time
I love the music at the beginning of the song. I am really not a fan of M Shadows singing. Hello, you are not Axel Rose and please, stop thinking you are. I love the lyrics. I love the pace of this song. There is a pretty good guitar solo in the last-minute of the song.
This Means War
I love the guitar work at the beginning. I love how the drums and bass are playing at the beginning of the song. I love the sound effect on the nuclear bomb blowing up. The music is really good on this song. M Shadows has pretty good singing and lyrics. I just feel they are listening to way too much 1980’s and early 1990’s metal. They are starting to sound like a cheap version of those bands. There is a nice guitar solo towards the middle of the song. This is a really good song but I just feel this song is way too long.
Requiem
There is worship singing like church singing at the beginning. The music is pretty solid. I just feel lead singer’s singing is a little loss in the music. I just feel they are running apart. This is just a mess of music and white noise. It kind of came together just before the guitar solo. The guitar solo is pretty good in the mid-point of the song.
Crimson Day
There is some nice acoustic guitar work at the beginning of “Crimson Day.” I love the singing from M Shadows. I love the heavy guitar playing on the main part of the song. The acoustic guitar stays in the background. Mr. Shadows has put some thought behind these lyrics. This is a pretty solid song and by far the best one so far on this record. There is some nice guitar solos towards the end of the song.
Heretic
Here is some old school Avenged Sevenfold fade in guitar riffs at the beginning of the song. I am not a fan of the main part of the song from a music stand point. Mr. Shadows’ singing is not up to his standards. I love how they are using the keyboard in the background. I do not like how they shaped the music around his singing or how he is singing with the music. It does bend good. I love how they pushed the keyboard playing to the front in the back half of the song. There is a well placed and written guitar solo towards the end of the song.
Coming Home
The start of this song reminds me of something from Iron Maiden. The singing is something off Iron Maiden’s first two records with their original singer. The main part of the song is like themselves. The lyrics are good, however, I just feel they do not fit well on this song. There is a pretty good guitar solo half way through the song. I love how they build up the ending as it fades out. I love the double bass action at the end from the drummer.
Planets
I love the build up to the start of this song. The drumming and bass playing are insane. The guitar playing I believe are step down to the rest of the record. The singing is pretty solid with some below average lyrics. This song has loss me over the half way point of the song. I love the music but the singing and lyrics are making my mind wander in a bad way. There is an average guitar solo towards the end of the song.
Acid Rain
I love how they started the song with the music. Nice touch on the piano. I love the guitar solo over the top of the music. This is a pretty solid song to end this record. M Shadows has some good singing and nice lyrics. There is a pretty good guitar solo in the first quarter of the song. I love the sound effects of rain falling at the end of the song.
Original Line Up:
Current Line Up:
Here is their website and twitter addresses:
Website: www.avengedsevenfold.com
Twitter: @TheOfficialA7X
Closing, I am happy for any band that gets back on the iron horse and makes new music after a death of band member or a key member leaving a band. I give them a ton of credit and I know how hard it might be to do that again without a brother. However, the member they loss in this band was a key song writer, they wanted to do something different but keep true their sound. I just feel this band has loss too much and they are living on their past success right now. I hope they find it soon because I do love their style. It took me half way through my radio DJ career to really love what this band was doing in the past. I am not saying this is a bad record because it is not. It is a solid record but for Avenged Sevenfold this is not up to their standards. The band came out before this release saying this record will be different from the rest of their music. I do agree to some point but it still sounds like their old music. I just feel the loss of their old drummer made them change their sound. I still recommend checking out his record and let me know what you think of it. Go get some! Drink it! Enjoy it! Metal it! \m/
Cheers!
Bill DJ Weiser
Email: djweiser13@comcast.net
Twitter: @djweiser
In this New Music Monday Blog, we are going to get into their fourth studio record, which his called “The Wrong Side Of Heaven And The Righteous Side Of Hell Volume 1.” There will be a volume 2 release in the later part of 2013 and that will their fifth studio record. We are going to get into the history of this band and then the music. Let us get into the history.
History:
Five Finger Death Punch was formed in 2005 by Zoltan Bathory, who is the guitar player, and Jeremy Spencer, who is the drummer. Zoltan Bathory was a bassist in his old band which was called U.P.O. Matt Snell joins the band in 2006. The band recorded music and then send it to Ivan Moody in Denver. The band named themselves after some classic martial arts movies. Ivan later that year flew out to Los Angeles. They began to record their first studio record, which was called “The Way Of The Fist.” The band did not have a second guitar player, however, Stevo “Shotgun” Bruno and Mike Sarkisyan recorded parts on the record while being mixed by guitarist Logan Mader. Caleb Andrew Bingham joined the band for a few shows as their second guitar player. He was later replaced by Darrell Roberts. During this time, the band signed with the record company, which was “The Firm.” In 2007, the band released their first EP, which was called Pre-Emptive Strike through American Itunes. “The Way Of The Fist” was released in 2007 and enter the Billboard Charts Top 200 at #199. They went on several major tours to support their first record. They were on the Maythm Festival and Korn’s Family Values Tour. They supported Disturbed during this time too. The band re-release “The Way Of The Fist” in 2008 with few bonus tracks. “Never Enough” was added on to the record and became the band’s second single off the record. Darrell Roberts was asked to leave and was replaced by Jason Hook in 2009. The band stop touring and supporting their first record at this time too. “War Is The Answer” which is their second studio record was release in 2009. It entered the Billboard Charts at #7. The record had several singles including the cover of Bad Company’s song, which was “Bad Company.” This is one of my favorite cover songs from a hard rock and metal band. The band went into the studio to work on their third record, which was called “American Capitalist.” The record was released in the later part of 2011. The band brought in bassist Chris Kael to replace Matt Snell, who departed from the band. The band had some success with this record but like their first two studio records. They had several singles off “American Capitalist.” Early part of 2013, the band began to work on their fourth record. By May of 2013, the band announced they will be putting out two records. “The Wrong Side Of Heaven And The Righteous Side Of Hell Volume 1,” which is their fourth record and the one that will be review on this posted, and later in the year Volume 2 will be released. The band realize they were writing some good tunes and they did not want to stop writing. They dropped some tunes for a double studio record. The band brought in several special guests and one was Rob Halford from Judas Priest. They performed this song with Rob at 5th Annual Golden God Awards. The second volume will be released in November, however, they just release the first single off that record called “Battle Born.” Let us get into Volume One.
Track List:
Lift Me Up (Featuring Rob Halford Of Judas Priest)
There is some nice heavy guitars with the drums and bass. The drums have a nice beat to it. Ivan has a nice melody to his singing. I am loving the lyrics. I love how they are using Rob Halford on this song. Their voices match really well. This is a great opening track to this song. Metal God still sounds great when he is singing. I love the pace of this song. There is a nice guitar solo towards the end of the song. I love the ending of this opening track.
Watch You Bleed
I love the reverb on the singer’s voice and the nice acoustic guitar at the beginning. I love the heavy guitars and the drums during the main part of the song. Ivan wrote some nice lyrics on this song. I love the fact that the drummer is using double bass during the main part of the song. There is a nice guitar break that turns into a nice guitar solo towards the end of the song. Nice touch on the ending of this song.
You
There is some nice music at the beginning. I love the melody of this song. Ivan wrote some nice lyrics on “You.” I love the slower pace on this song. It gives this record a different element. This band reminds of Pantera back in the day. I have to say they are today’s Pantera. There is a nice guitar solo towards the end of the song. It kind of feels forced into the song. I am not a fan of the ending.
Wrong Side Of Heaven
I love the acoustic guitar with the second over the top of it in a semi guitar solo. I love how they had the drums in the distance and it comes front. I love Ivan’s clean vocals. I love the lyrics. They wrote some nice music on this title track. There is a pretty good guitar solo towards the middle of the song. I love how Ivan sings over the top of the back half of the guitar solo.
Burn MF
I love the heavy guitars and the drums highlighting parts at the beginning. There is some solid bass playing on this song. I am not fan of Ivan’s singing, however, the lyrics are solid. The drums are insane on this song. This song is straight to the point. I love the ending.
I.M.SIN
I love the music at the beginning of this song. I love singing and lyrics on this song. It fits the song and the theme. Ivan wrote a nice melody to this song. They pull a page out of Pantera’s music book and did the spoken words before a nice guitar solo. I love the ending of this song.
Anywhere But Here (Featuring Maria Brink)
I love the heavy guitars at the beginning with a nice backing from the drums and bass. I love the acoustic guitar with the heavy guitar at the front. I love the melody and lyrics from Ivan. I love the guitar solo at the back half of the song. I wish they would use Maria more on this song. There is another version of this song towards the end of this record. It is part of the bonus tracks. Why even have her on this song if you are not going to use her.
Dot Your Eyes
I love the drums and the guitar playing is pretty good at the beginning. There is a simple but to the point bass playing. This song reminds of “When Worlds Collide” from Powerman 5000. The rhythm and melody from the singer and how the music is playing. You can see that this band was influenced from the bands from the 1990’s. I love how they are using the back up singers. There is a nice guitar break at the end of the song.
M.I.N.E (End This Way)
There is some nice acoustic guitar playing at the beginning of this song. I wish they used it more and more. Ivan’s singing is good with some good lyrics. I love how the bass and drums calm to fit theme of this song. This song has a nice pace to it. There is another forced guitar solo towards the middle of this song. Can this band go one song on this record without a guitar solo? They are well written but some are just forced into the song.
Mama Said Knock You Out (Featuring Tech N9Ne)
I love the guitar and drums at the beginning of this song. This is the first cover on this record. It seems like they always has a cover on all their records. This is really bad. I wish they did not do this song. Are you kidding? Really?!?!?!?! This is the worse cover I have heard in a very long time. I am good. I cannot finish this song.
Diary Of A Deadman
I love the music at the beginning. I am really not a fan of the spoken words on this song. I love the guitar break. These last two songs at the end of this record have been really disappointing. I feel this is a bad way to end this great record.
I.M.SIN (Featuring Max Cavalra)
This is the first of three bonus tracks with guest singers. “I.M.SIN” has lead singer from Soulfly, who is Max Cavalra. I love the music as I said above. I want to see how they work Max into this song. They did a great job working him into this song. I love this version better than the regular record one.
Anywhere But Here (Duet With Maria Brink)
This song features Maria Brink, who is the lead singer of In This Moment. I love how they are using her on this version. This is a better version. They should have used this version on the main record not the other one. There voices work well together.
Dot Your Eyes (Featuring Jamey Jasta Of Hatebreed)
“Dot Your Eyes” features Jamey Jasta from Hatebreed. I love this version like the rest of the bonus tracks. The second lead singer gives another element to the songs and music from this band. This is a great song to end this record with the bonus tracks.
Orinigal Line Up:
Current Line Up:
Here is their website and twitter addresses:
Website: www.fivefingerdeathpunch.com
Twitter: @FFDP
Closing, this record is by far their best work to date. I am pretty impressed because I thought their last two records were their best. This band is at the top of metal world right now and I do not see them going away anytime soon. They remind me of a modern-day Pantera. Is this what Pantera would be doing today if they were still around? It is a great question. There were only two songs on this great that I would do without. It was the last two songs before the bonus tracks. This is a solid record and I can see them doing really well with it along with their Volume 2. Volume 2 will be out later part of 2013. I highly recommend you checking out this great record. Go get some! Drink it! Enjoy it! Metal it! \m/
Cheers!
Bill DJ Weiser
Email: djweiser13@comcast.net
Twitter: @djweiser
In this Music Monday blog, we are going to get into the second record from Charred Walls Of The Damned. The record is called Cold Winds On Timeless Days. We are going to get into the history of the band and then the music. Let us get into history.
History:
Richard Christy, who is the drummer and founder of Charred Walls Of The Damned, left Iced Earth in 2004. The lead singer at that time was Tim “Ripper” Owens. He began working on the Howard Stern Show. In 2009, Richard returns to music with his band called Charred Walls Of The Damned. The name of the band came from prank calls while on the Stern Show. In 2010, the band released their first record which was self titled. In 2011, the band released their second record called Cold Winds On Timeless Days. Let us get into the music.
Track List:
Timeless Days
I love the guitar playing at the beginning of the song. There is a nice guitar solo before the main part of the song. I love the drumming from Christy. Tim’s singing is pretty solid. There is some pretty good lyrics. The guitar and drumming is pretty solid on this song. This is a pretty good opening track for the record. I just kind of feel this song is too long. There are also parts of the song where Tim’s vocals do not fit with the song. There is a nice acoustic guitar break towards the end.
Ashes Falling Upon Us
I love the beginning of this song. There is heavy guitars with a guitar solo over the top. The drumming is pretty solid with some nice bass playing. Tim’s singing is solid and his voice fits the song. There is some pretty good lyrics. There is a nice short guitar solo quarter into the song. There is some well placed nice short guitar solos between the main part and chorus. There is a long and extended guitar solo at the end of the song. I love the end of this song.
Zerospan
The music on this song is insane. The drumming is what I expect from Richard Christy. I am talking about speed and more speed on this song. The lead singer’s singing is solid. The lyrics are pretty good too. There is an awesome guitar solo towards the middle of the song. The guitar and bass playing is pretty strong on “Zerospan.”
Cold Winter
I love the acoustic guitar playing with the other guitar over the top. The bass is dancing in the background. I just wish it was a little bit turn up on the bass. I love Tim’s singing on this song. The lyrics are pretty solid. The music had some emotion and feeling behind it. This is one of my favorite tracks off this record. I love the ending of this song.
Lead The Way
I love the fade in on the guitar playing. It is a pretty solid riff. I love the drumming and the bass playing is really good. The music is pretty strong on this song. The singing from the Tim is strong. I love the lyrics on this song. There is a pretty good guitar solo towards the middle of the song. Nice touch on the fade out of the music.
Forever Marching On
I love the bass playing at the beginning. I am glad they let him out to dance up and down on that neck. The guitar playing to me does not seem to fit. There is a crazy drum beat. Tim’s singing is pretty good. I am not sure how i feel about that guitar riff over the top of the bass. The chorus music is awesome. I love the lyrics on this song. I love the pace towards the end of the song.
Guiding Me
I love the acoustic guitar playing. The music during the main part of the song is good. Tim’s singing is solid with some great lyrics. I love the melody on this singing. The music is pretty solid. There is a pretty good guitar solo towards the middle of the song. This band wrote some nice music on this song. I love the ending to the song.
The Beast Outside My Window
There is a nice acoustic guitar at the beginning of the song. This is thinking man’s music. This is very well written music. The music picks up to the heavy part. The guitars are using the same riff but it is heavier. There is some solid singing from Tim. I am not really a fan of the lyrics but the music is pretty killer. There is a pretty good ending.
On Unclean Ground
I love the bass playing at the beginning. It is an insane riff. The drumming is starting to sound the same in each song. It is still pretty good. I love the music on this song. The lyrics are pretty good. There is a pretty good guitar solo towards the end of the song.
Boodworm
I love the slow down pace on this song to the rest of fast over top speed songs on this record. I love Tim’s singing with some good lyrics. The music is pretty good. The music gets pretty killer towards the middle of the song. There is a nice guitar break about the same point. They wrote some nice music on this track.
Admire The Heroes
I love the music at the beginning of the song. It is just like the last song. It has a nice pace and groove to it. Tim has been pretty solid on his singing on this record. There is no drop off on this song. There is some solid lyrics on this song. There is a nice exiting guitar solo to end the song.
Avoid The Light
This song is over the top fast and in your face at the beginning. The music is pretty good. I love the drop off during the main part of the song. Once again, Tim’s singing is pretty solid. I love the bass playing on this song. This is a great tune but I just feel this is a bad song to end the record. This record deserves more and I do not know what it is and what song. Overall, this was a pretty good second record.
Line Up:
Here is their website and twitter addresses:
Website: www.richardchristy.com
Twitter: @cwotd
Closing, I had interested in this band because of their lead singer, who is Tim Owens. I discovered Tim when he was part of the legendary band, who is Judas Priest. Yes, he was the guy that replaced Rob Halford. I am a fan of his ever since. Charred Walls Of The Damned first record was really good. I still pull it out and put it in my music of the day. I did not know how to feel towards their second record, which is one that I am reviewing it here. Richard’s drumming is up to his standards. It was over the top good. I just felt at times that the drumming sounds the same in every song or most. I had the same feeling in their first record. There is nothing wrong with that because that is Richard’s style. Tim’s singing is really good but I felt his singing in some songs did not fit. I love the bass playing on this record. This band has a really good rhythm selection. The one thing I noticed on this record is the guitar playing. There was some really good guitar playing. I enjoyed most of it. I just felt some of the guitar solo were not forced into songs. They sound like they should be in the songs. There is many guitar solos in many songs from other bands where the solos sound like they were forced in so the guitar player can show off. Not every song needs a guitar solo and I am glad Charred Walls Of The Damned realizes this situation. This was a really good record overall. I will be adding it once in a while to my daily line up of music. I highly recommend this record and their first one too. Go get some! Drink it! Enjoy it! Metal it! \m/
Cheers!
Bill DJ Weiser
Email: djweiser13@comcast.net
Twitter: @djweiser
DJ Weiser 