The band’s setlist was as follows:

01. Blackened
02. For Whom The Bell Tolls
03. Creeping Death
04. Of Wolf & Man
05. One
06. Broken, Beat And Scarred
07. Cyanide
08. Sad But True
09. Welcome Home (Sanitarium)
10. All Nightmare Long
11. The Day That Never Comes
12. Master Of Puppets
13. Dyers Eve
14. Nothing Else Matters
15. Enter Sandman
- – - – - – - -
16. Last Caress
17. Hit The Lights
18. Seek and Destroy

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OUR LADY PEACE-BURN BURN
COALITION ENTERTAINMENT
WWW.MYSPACE.COM/OURLADYPEACE
RELEASE DATE: JULY 21, 2009
Rating: 4/5

It has been a damn long time since these Canadians have released another creative rock album. OUR LADY PEACE  a band that put me in awe the first time I ever saw them live with a amazing beauty of musicianship and a vocalist who held a sold out crowd captivated and speechless with the versatility of his range.

BURN BURN is album number 7 and an album that is back on the Indie front. No major label to keep their creative nature down, its just these talented dudes doing what they did when they first started, bringing in magic and emotional valued melodies into there music. Each album has been an art piece of imagination, some had moody sound scapes, some had amazing lyrical value and some just rocked out and allured us with such natural talent. BURN BURN does all of that and more. A solid piece of work although I think GRAVITY is my all time favorite album of theirs but this one has really standout tracks and it all starts out with ALL YOU DID WAS SAVE MY LIFE. It rages with the signature sound of OUR LADY PEACE which is the catchy, upbeat and explosive elements. The lyrics push positive attitude to the edge; the vocals are on point but how they could not, Raine Maida encompasses everything a front man and songwriter should be. WHITE FLAGS is another fun rocking track, great guitar elements with a simple but catchy outcome.  SIGNS OF LIFE has a great light rock and sleek vocals. NEVER GET OVER YOU is the bands ballad and I tend to be bias on any OUR LADY PEACE ballad probably because this voice just oozes emotion but this track really is a soothing simple and pretty track and shows the light side of the band. MONEKY BRAINS is the creative artsy flair of the record some sassy rock feeling, the changes of electric to acoustic, durable and active guitar tones and just edgy with a simple rock tone. DREAMLAND has a pretty piano beginning and has a big chorus and just the arrangement of the song is flawless. OUR LADY PEACE is stars in my heart and too many across the world and with this new album brings back what music is missing Integrity. Bravo!!!

I really thought New York based band SUICIDE CITY had left the scene after releasing a little demo back a few years ago. A demo that showcased life after being a part of iconic bands like Biohazard and Kittie, but I was wrong the band was just laying low and finishing the final touches and artsy flair of the bands first full length album FRENZY.

FRENZY is perfectly named for the disc and the band. For one anyone who has seen this band live can relate to me when I say it’s like the energizer bunny on crack times 25 when these guys and gal hit the stage. But when you think FRENZY, the record the word frenzy doesn’t mean crazy and chaotic I’d say it’s more of a meaning of diverse nature. The record bleeds with energy don’t get me wrong but it tackles so many angles of musical talent which makes the disc very distinct. I would sum up the record as a soundtrack that brings back classic, iconic movies back to life; the zaniness of the Rocky Horror Picture Show to the mystery and darkness of The Crow. Add in some punk rock swagger and alluring theatric ambience you have FRENZY in a nutshell. Another element that makes the band stick out is the unique vocals of Karl Bernholtz, he has a quirkiness where he can bleed with craziness, seduce with mystery or bring you to a theatric production of emotion. CUTTER opens up the disc for the most part with that old school New York punk attitude. Another great factor about the band is the vocal talents of Billy Graziadei and Jennifer Arroyo two people with more distinct flavor that really gives good layering to some of the songs. I brought up the Crow movie before because it paints the picture of the dark and sensual moonscapes of the record but also because the guys do a cover of the Cure’s BURN that came off the movies soundtrack and by god I had to listen to it on repeat cause it came out sounding so much like the original. PAINTED HORSE continues the dark sounds with a great guitar element and moody vocals. THE BEST WAY one of my favorites has a high energy vibe and reminds me of a track that could be in the Rocky Horror Picture Show play list. It is fun and very cheeky!! UNDONE a song off the bands old demo filter in with a revamped style; I like the stronger vocals in the chorus. One other song I took to was SHE WAITS it shows off more of a singing pattern and once again diversifies the band. The last few tracks on the disc bring into play some electronic feeling interweaving throughout songs like SPANISH FLY and SHE WAITS. They also give you a Nine Inch Nail feel with whispery singing and somber like piano elements in LOST YEARS. NOT MY YEAR is another track that mixes it up with a rock feel but has a certain feel of bluesy easy breezy feel going on in the backdrop. SUICIDE CITY is bringing an adventure to your ears in 15 songs. They have been hiding out for a good reason FRENZY is delicious.

KILLSWITCH ENGAGE

In 2004/2005 KILLSWITCH ENGAGE not only made me proud to live in the same State that they formed in but they gave me a appreciation for a band who could kill you sound wise with massive, in your face aggressive music; along with exploring the depths of  the melodic singing elements in music that they are very well known for.

The album THE END OF HEARTACHE was a gem using that sonic blast of metal to catch your attention right from the get go of every song but it was that title track that solidified the cleverness, passion and commitment this band had to be diverse, brutal and to give the fans all of them in each song. The walk down memory lane for me was due to the face that KILLSWITCH ENGAGE is once again alive and breathing new life into 2009 with the SELF TITLED newest album. With one quick listen through the whole disc you automatically see the depth and layering the band is producing to the music these days. It’s still an assault to the senses but not as in your face and brutal these days. The craft of developing textures, melody and intricate styling is making each song stand out on there own instead of meshing together. Than we have the vocals of Howard Jones who has brought delicateness to his screams and a lower stronger emotional value to his singing voice as you can see on STARTING OVER.

Overall KILLSWITCH ENGAGE went down a new path and came out with a diverse, styled solid defined album. THE RETURN creates a light of somber appeal with a desired and almost elegant melodic singing nature. It presents hope, yearning and beauty from the voice, to the music to the lyrics. The musicianship on TAKE ME AWAY is breathtaking, seductive, inspiring and  a respected way to show a metal band opening gates of elegance. Then we have I WOULD DO ANYTHING my favorite track and a song that brings you back to the fierce, electrifying brutal music. This song shows they still have what they had the years when the learning and growing was raw and new to them. KILLSWITCH ENGAGE has made a record to be reckoned with and will see a heavy payback for the hard work.

I’ll be the first to admit that I was never a fan of the front woman in the music world unless maybe they were in the “pop” culture but through the years the ladies have stepped up and showed more integrity and passion for what they were doing in the metal and hard rock world. The band EYES SET TO KILL are one of the bands that made me take a re- listen to what a female fronted band could create and prove and let me say they shut me up with the negative thoughts I had. From there I opened my mind to other darker and heavier bands in this genre. But for now it is all about the band EYES SET TO KILL that came to me about a year ago or so with their debut album REACH, with sisters in the band and a aggressive side to the band thanks to one of the male members this band had it all great melodies, powerful and punchy heavier styles and storylines that were so emotional and reality driven. THE WORLD OUTSIDE is the newest effort from the band and the sound hasn’t really changed since REACH. The one thing was the stories based throughout each song were not as appealing to me as the last record was but still on a few of the tracks it’s obvious that the soul of storytelling is still there. I do love the aggressive screams of Brandon are still alive and kicking but he has also added some clean singing on the track DEADLY WEAPONS. With this addition it really compliments Alexia’s singing range very well. This track is upbeat, catchy and very easily could be a solid single. RISEN brings you back to the first album with the ultra aggressive nature and mixture of melody driven parts. The titles track THE WORLD OUTSIDE and the last tracks COME HOME are the two songs that really moved me through the lyrical content. It brings out a lot of emotional value to the singing quality and the way the listener perceives it. Songs, which convey emotion on many levels and aspects in life, EYES SET TO KILL aren’t creating new music and they aren’t doing anything insanely impossible but they do bring the realness and passion to each and every song they put to disc. So if you’re a first timer to this band or loved them from the beginning this CD is another great disc to add to your collection.

EYES SET TO KILL
“Heights”

LOS ANGELES – Michael Jackson, the sensationally gifted child star who rose to become the “King of Pop” and the biggest celebrity in the world only to fall from his throne in a freakish series of scandals, died Thursday, a person with knowledge of the situation told The Associated Press. He was 50.

The person said Jackson died in a Los Angeles hospital. The person was not authorized to speak publicly and requested anonymity.

The circumstances of his death were not immediately clear. Jackson was not breathing when Los Angeles Fire Department paramedics responded to a call at his Los Angeles home about 12:30 p.m., Capt. Steve Ruda told the Los Angeles Times. The paramedics performed CPR and took him to UCLA Medical Center, Ruda told the newspaper.

Jackson’s death brought a tragic end to a long, bizarre, sometimes farcical decline from his peak in the 1980s, when he was popular music’s premier all-around performer, a uniter of black and white music who shattered the race barrier on MTV, dominated the charts and dazzled even more on stage.

Through the years I have been a very big fan but it was only this year when I had the pleasure of seeing them play live on the Silverstein tour and now on their very own headlining tour.

With their latest effort RATTLESNAKE pretty much being the most aggressive and impacted thing in their career so far I was happy to be able to sit down with them to chat about the process of writing it and how they feel after the finished product is out. With Joe and Tyler in tow we headed backstage before their set to chat about the cover tunes, the future and if there is any regrets of what they have done thus far.

HEY GUYS! I SEE THINGS ARE GOING WELL FOR YOU?

JOE: Yea things are good

I KNOW ON RATTLESNAKE YOU PUT A LOT OF YOUR HEART N SOUL INTO THIS ALBUM. WITH YOU AND DAN SINGING, THROUGH THE YEARS HOW DOES THE SONGWRITING HAPPEN?

JOE: I write all the lyrics. I work with Dan on melodies and rhythms and stuff like that. So basically I get an idea in my head on how I want something and then we get together and then we go through on how I want the words to fit and then he just sings it the way I want him to. He writes a lot of the music and guitar and stuff like that. But Dane on this album contributed a lot on the songwriting.

DO YOU FEEL THROUGH ALL THE PERSONAL STUFF ON THIS ALBUM THAT IT IS WHAT MADE IT THE BEST ALBUM THROUGH YOUR CAREER?

JOE:  I wouldn’t say it’s the best thing I could do in my career. I believe that the album itself, to me is my favorite. I know it hits home when I sing it and I feel everything I was feeling when I wrote it. It is a good chapter in my life and proud I have this. I am just really proud as a band of what we can do and I believe every record is a step up from the last but RATTLENSAKE is defiantly my favorite.

WHEN YOU SIT DOWN TO CREATE AN ALBUM DO YOU GO BACK TO PRIOR ALBUMS FOR INSPRIATION OR WHAT NOT TO DO?

JOE: You never really have a conscious effort especially with our band and that is probably half the problem (laughing) we don’t do that. The only album I remember us saying well this is what we kind of want to do and that was the self titled album. That is because after we split with the original members it was Dan and I and we basically wrote our first album together. It was him and I in my garage so anyway we did the split with the band and we said ok let’s go back to doing what A STATIC LULLABY was!!! Let’s go back to making music we love. So then the next album came!! We are always

evolving and we are true to rock n roll, we are musicians we try to do the best of what we do. We love to write songs and playing heavy rock n roll and metal is the most fun we can have.

SO WITH THE NEW GUYS EVEN THOUGH THEY WERE IN FOR THE SELF TITLED THIS ALBUM THEY DID HAVE A BIGGER PART WHEN THE CREATING PROCESS TOOK PLACE.

JOE: Yea like I said earlier Dane really put in a lot on this new disc. For the first time ever this is the first time I can remember someone else giving something to a record besides me and Dan and it was great. The collaboration was great.

DO YOU THINK THE AGGRESSIVENESS ON THE ALBUM IS BECAUSE OF DANE’S CONTRIBUTION.

JOE: Well that is the thing. Dane is a bass player so when Dan would write a guitar part it would be written like it was for the bass line. It was played with different rhythm. So the songs were coming out heavier but we loved it. I was generally pissed off and I didn’t believe the lyrics I was writing could be played on a soft album because if you read the fuckin lyrics it was pretty brutal shit!!! It could make your hair stand up on your arm if you really think about it

GOING BACK THOUGH DO YOU REGRET ANYTHING THAT YOU HAVE WRITTEN ON THE RECORD?

JOE: No (laughing) If I was to regret I would be in a lot of fuckin trouble (laughing) I would have too much regret for myself (laughing) I do like to make little notes to myself I call it little post it notes to my heart, I guess little life lessons and they say no regrets!!

NOW WITH THE BRITNEY COVER OF TOXIC DID YOU DO IT FOR THE ALBUM OR FOR THE FEARLESS COMPILATION?

JOE: That was on our album way before anything else that comp came out a while after. The funny thing about it was we did the song because we wanted to do another cover because of the success of LET GO. So we wanted to do it too have fun and it was a wonderful thing and then when Pop Goes Punk came out it just did amazing it was on MTV and the video did well. So that success of it has been great for us. I wish it did well for our album because it just wouldn’t be single sales it would be album sales because we are the most popular song on that comp album

WELL THE QUESTION I WAS GOING TO ASK YOU IS AFTER PUTTING YOUR HEART N SOUL INTO THIS NEW ALBUM DOES IT FUSTRATE YOU THAT THE COVER IS PRIMARLIY WAS IT MAKING YOU STICK OUT THIS YEAR TO THE PUBLIC?

JOE: It doesn’t frustrate me but I get what your saying but still it doesn’t and the point was we wanted to do it, we really thought it would be a good thing to do. To get someone to drive to your album by listening to a pop song, they are going to hear our songs regardless. So then they can be the judge of it for themselves but the planning between the two releases wasn’t correct so that is just what it is you know.

ARE YOU WORKING ON ANYTHING NEW FOR RECORD 5?

JOE: We have been doing this for 10 years now, we get in our moods where it is touring touring touring but when we go home this next time everybody has some family things they need to sort out but we are going to write for sure. I am really excited to write just because of where RATTLENSAKE was and it is a statement. After writing that album it gave me a breathe of fresh air

WITH THIS LINEUP YOU HAVE NOW HOW MUCH DIFFERENCE OR IMPACT DOES THESE MEMBERS GIVE THE LIVE PERFORMANCE AND THE PERSONAL FRIENDSHIP LEVEL ON THE ROAD?

JOE: Well Dan and I have been together forever. I was 14 when I started playing with him. I guess as a whole I’m just happy to be able to play with such great musicians and I think the overall show and presence we bring to the stage is great we connect with each other and the crowd and that is beautiful. The live show can get loud at times sometimes I’m the one that goes crazy and then Dan has his moments. They are all great guys and now I have the pleasure of not having to deal with what I dealt with previously

SO WHEN YOU WERE LOOKING AGAIN DID THESE GUYS JUST FALL IN TO PLACE?

JOE: Dane was in Berkley music in Boston and he tried out for us and came out to California and worked on the self titled with us and then Tyler was a drummer in another band and we had lost our drummer so we stole him (laughing) from another band so he came aboard when we were on tour for the self titled album. The rest is history

TYLER HOW IS IT WORKING WITH MR. JOE BROWN?

TYLER: It is amazing I couldn’t be happier

YOU DON’T WANT TO QUIT YET?

TYLER: No

JOE: I can make him want to

TYLER: (laughing) yea he knows how to push my buttons

JOE: I push his buttons rarer then others

TYLER: Yes Dan on the other hand just doesn’t know how to stop (laughing)

JOE: OOOO he is a button pusher…(laughing)

I KNOW YOU MUST HAVE HEADLINED BEFORE BUT HAS THIS BEEN YOUR FIRST MAJOR ONE?

JOE: Sweetheart we have been a band for a long time so we have done big ones and little ones but we haven’t headlined in like three years because we talked as a band and said we just want to support and get RATTLENSAKE out there because it is a whole new scene from when we started and I’m trying to understand it most of the time because I don’t!! So we went out jumped on tours to get our name out there and then do a headliner. We did this because we didn’t get Warped Tour or anything like that and we didn’t know if we were going to tour this summer so when we made the decision we all agreed to headline and then we get to play more songs for the fans and that is really all we wanted to do on this one.

PICKING THIS TOUR DID YOU HAVE FULL REIGN ON WHO WAS GOING TO MAKE THE PACKAGE OF BANDS UP?

JOE: Yea we picked the bands

TYLER: I mean there was some that were offered to us and we were on tour at the time when we got all the offers and we kind of left it up to our managers and booking agent to give us options

JOE: They sent us a list of bands and said what about these guys and we listened to them and then said what is their deal.

IS THERE ANY MAIN THINGS YOU WANT IN A PACKAGED HEADLINE RUN?

JOE: I like diversity. I think this tour there is diversity which is great. Tides Of Man is phenomenal, they are just a great great rock n roll band, they are not really heavy, I mean they are heavy but not intense, they are really great musicians and all the other bands kick it on stage and then we get on and finish it off

IS THERE ANYTHING YOU’RE LEARNING FROM THE BANDS ON THIS BILL YOU WILL TAKE AWAY WITH YOU ONCE IT’S DONE?

JOE: I think Vanna is teaching me a lesson on life!! (laughing)

IS THAT A GOOD THING?

JOE: If your saying by the end of the tour what will we take away with us I think we will lose a lot more (laughing)  Tyler might lose his mind by the end of the tour!!!!

AFTER THIS TOUR ANYMORE TOURING OR JUST GOING HOME?

JOE: Oh yea we are going to write

(As Joe rubs Tyler’s head) AND RUB HIS HEAD!!

TYLER: They gave me crap because I shaved it down to nothing

JOE: I didn’t say much..aww come on dude

TYLER: You know what you said

JOE: O dude don’t repeat that
TYLER: No, I won’t but you know what you said

WHILE YOU WERE ON YOUR PHONE CALL I ASKED JOE WHEN YOU DO WRITE FOR THE NEW RECORD IS THERE ANYTHING YOU WANT TO SPECIFICALLY THROW IN TO THE WRITING PROCESS?

TYLER: I would say since I listen to more metal

JOE: Him and I want to sound like Lamb Of God

TYLER: Yes!! But my aspect towards our music I would say I would try to get more heavier parts out of us because Dan is a top 40 guy he listens to like anything that you will hear on the radio and Dane listens to very diverse amount of music and I try to but Joe can          atest to this but like I said I listen to more metal so I tend to go back to just that all the time. So I think that is what I kind of bring out

WHAT DO YOU THINK THE PERCENTAGE IS THAT YOU WILL GET YOUR WAY?

TYLER: NOW!!!! Since this past record

JOE: I don’t think the discussion of metal is going to be any question

TYLER: After RATTLESNAKE I would say a good percentage

JOE WILL WE HEAR MORE ANGRY LYRICS?

JOE: Hell yea it’s just going to be Tyler and I. It will be double bass and just me screaming

SO WE DON’T NEED THE REST OF THE BAND

JOE: Yea we are going for the tribal sounding A STATIC LULLABY (laughing)

(Laughing) CHANGE IS GOOD (LAUGHING) OKIE ANYTHING ELSE YOU WANT TO ADD OR COMMENT ABOUT?

JOE: Yes!! You did a great interview and your questions were great and you did a really good job

DO I GET A STAR ON MY FOREHEAD?

JOE: YES YOU DO!!

As a live prospect Shikari have always been a feel-good band, their shows feeling more like a house party than a gig. Taking the crowd from stadium-rock singalong moments to two-step skanking via a wall of death, the new tracks only show that they’ve ramped up the variety developed in their earlier songs. From the erratic chords of current single Juggernauts to the more punk-flavoured Antwerpen the sound is fresh, exciting and rammed with creative ideas, arguably with a big influence from the current surge in musical creativity in the UK, reflecting the more lo-fi, grimy, urban sound of artists like Dizzee Rascal and The Streets along with their more usual screamo and thrash sound. The (extremely) young crowd only got their hands on the album on the morning of the show and yet most of them already know every key change and chorus, lapping up the new songs as avidly as the now-classic Mothership.

Where Shikari’s creativity really starts to shine is in their fearlessness at mashing their influences one after another, instead of blending them neatly into a refined sound. It’s a method that must lead to some horrific failed experiments in the studio, but by the time they reach the stage it’s a perfect way to combine the best of both worlds for a crowd who would be just as happy at a rave as in the pit.

The delivery is also spot on as always – the boys clearly love being up on stage, whether taking turns whirling into the crowd on the heavier breakdowns or hopping on the spot to an impromptu happy hardcore interlude, and they present their set with an honesty and shits-n-giggles attitude to making mistakes that’s hard not to admire.

You get the feeling that in any city in the world, be it London or Tokyo, Shikari will always be welcomed as home-town boys. The years since their first release have clearly not taken their toll either, their enthusiastic energy on stage effortlessly whipping up an already hyped audience. As long as they can survive another round of tours the prospects for the future are looking sky high.

I caught up with the newly-signed hardcore quintet Unholy at The Lost Horizon in Syracuse, NY.  They were direct support for label-mates All That Remains, who I was originally supposed to cover.  Because of unfortunate circumstances involving a self-important merch guy and a dickhead sound guy, I was left with no material and a long drive home.  Not wanting my night to be completely ruined, I asked Unholy if they would spare a few moments to chat with a very determined journalist.  Luckily, Billy was much obliged.  So although he may not be the leading man in any upcoming summer blockbusters, he was definitely the star of that night, and always will be in the eyes of one thankful metalhead.

YOU HAVE A NEW ALBUM OUT, CAN YOU TELL ME ABOUT THAT?
Yeah, A New Life Behind Closed Eyes, it came out on Prosthetic Records, it’s our debut album with the label.  We’re a recent band on the roster, so we’re all super excited.

WHO WERE YOU WITH BEFORE?
Lambgoat Records.

AND PROSTHETIC PICKED YOU UP?
Yeah, Gojira, All That Remains, we’re with good company.

NICE!  AND YOU RECENTLY HAD SEVERAL LINE UP CHANGES?
Yes.  I’m one of the new guys, so we’ll trace it back to when I got on board.  Probably about a year and a half ago, fall of ‘07, the old singer and the band parted ways.  Some issues with touring in general, not being on the same page.  Then I joined up with those guys, did a couple tours.  Then in the last three months we had a couple more line up changes.  Our old drummer and us parted ways.  [Drummer] Andy [Miller], who played with us tonight joined the band probably mid-January of this year.  He was like this dude that just came out of nowhere, just like the ultimate diamond in the rough story.  Like, the Syracuse music scene is kind of dried up anyways.  There’s not a lot- well, there’s talent- but not a lot of people doing the kind of music that we do around here.  In terms of players, and everybody that’s a really solid drummer especially, are already in bands.  So it’s real slim pickings, and an old mutual friend of everybody in the band, it’s his younger brother.  And he was like, “Oh, my brother’s been playing, he’s got his chops up.  He really digs your band and wants to tour, and is looking to try out.”  And we didn’t even know that he did drum teching for Unearth and a couple other bands, maybe Walls of Jericho.  So he’s got experience.  He was already out on the road doing drum tech stuff, touring and stuff.  We tried him out and he clicked immediately.  He picked all the songs up, great tempo, hits hard.  Real all over solid dude, and he’s a great fit.  [ex-Bassist] Gary [Mann] joined the band, who is no longer with us because we parted ways right around January when Andy got on board.  He didn’t want to tour anymore.  He was in If Hope Dies before, I don’t know, maybe that kind of broke him, or whatever.  He decided he didn’t want to do the road thing, so Devon Hubbard, new bass player, played with us tonight.  That would be the most recent line up change.  And he’s [Devon] doing the Earth Crisis tour, it’s not like, solidified yet- we haven’t announced him as a new member.  Just because so many things have been switching, we want to make sure he’s on the same page, but we’ve been super happy with him so far.  Good chops, good guy.  So, he’s doing the Earth Crisis/Walls of Jericho tour with us.

THEY’RE COMING HERE IN A COUPLE WEEKS.  WAIT, YOU’RE GOING TO BE HERE TOO?  AGAIN?  THE SAME MARKET IN A COUPLE WEEKS?
We’re coming right back!  Well, I feel like tonight is more of a radio K-rock type show.  I guess it was pushed really heavily through the airwaves.  They did a lot of publicity for the show, through 95X and K-rock.  Most of the shows we play don’t get that kind of radio support.  We’re used to playing to a more like, bar crowd or hardcore type crowd.  Which the Earth Crisis is going to be more predominantly the hardcore kids.  So, two different crowds.  Yeah, the dates are pretty close together, but we feel like it’s worth it to play to new people.

AND ME, AGAIN.
[laughs]  And of course you!  I’m sure you’ll be a big fan!

OH YEAH!  I’M GOING TO BE YOUR BIGGEST FAN IN THE WORLD!  [LAUGHS]
Slowly, one show at a time.  Don’t want to overshoot it.

I DON’T THINK I’M ANYBODY’S BIGGEST FAN.
That’s good.

I SEE FANS GETTING TATTOOS OF BANDS, I JUST THINK THAT’S KIND OF CREEPY.  HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT FANS GETTING TATTOOS OF BANDS THEY LIKE?
It’s not my thing, personally.  Like, as much as music means to me, and there’s a lot of bands or performers that have a big influence on my life or have influenced me to do music, expressing it in that way is not my thing.  I think it’s cool if somebody wants to do it.  It’s their own thing.  I’m sure that anybody that’s in that band- obviously we’re not close to that stature.  Actually, we do have one person!  One girl has an Unholy tattoo.

WHERE?
On her arm.  It’s the artwork for one of the old EP’s.  She came out to one of our shows and showed us.  It was before I was in the band, so it didn’t really click with me.  But I’m sure that for the rest of the guys it was really flattering.  It’s cool, to each their own.  It’s definitely a cool tribute, I guess.  More of an extreme fan type of move, but cool nonetheless.

OK.  SO YOU DON’T EAT JUNK FOOD, AND YOU OBVIOUSLY WORK OUT.
Yeah, I try to be consistent.  On and off, but pretty consistently try to stay away from the junk food.  This tour is a little rough though.  I have a massive sweet tooth, but I try to  have willpower.  I try to eat pretty clean, pack food, eat healthy meals, protein bars.

YOU KNOW THEY TASTE LIKE CARDBOARD, RIGHT?
Most of them do.  There’s some good ones.  I know some secret ones, that I don’t think anyone knows about, that I personally enjoy.  Yeah, try to keep it healthy.  I think it all relates back to performing and being in good shape to put on a good show.  Try to keep energy levels up and have endurance to get through sets, like give your all I think that has a big part to do with it.  So, it’s all hand in hand, goes together.

HOW OLD ARE YOU?
29.

WHAT DO YOU DO WHEN YOU’RE AT HOME?
I’m a personal trainer at Gold’s Gym.  So, I work.

SO YOU’RE ALL ABOUT PHYSICAL FITNESS?
Yeah, it’s like every day if I’m not working out, I’m training somebody.  It’s a pretty good part of life for me.  It’s something I enjoy, and it gives me freedom to tour and come back and still have job stability.  So that’s another big part of it that’s really cool.  Even though I haven’t told them that I’m leaving in like, two and a half weeks, I’m sure they’ll be cool with it.  I’ve left for two other tours before, and they’re pretty supportive.

YOU HAVEN’T TOLD WORK YET?
Not yet.  I decided to wait on this one. Probably this week I’ll break the news, but they’re usually cool about it.

SO WHAT OTHER BANDS HAVE YOU BEEN IN BESIDES UNHOLY?
Just really one other band, War of Attrition, from Syracuse.  We had a different name before that, but we were together for five, almost six years.  Everyone was in college, so we’d play on breaks or over the summer, than disappear for four months, get back together.  I did vocals for them also.  That was fun, it was cool.  Even though we’re not active anymore, doing that allowed me the opportunity to be able to do Unholy.  I don’t think I’d be ready for that if I hadn’t done anything prior, obviously.  Just conditioning-wise and everything. So, just that one band.  And those guys, a couple of them went on to do Freya.  The two guitar players that were in War of Attrition, John [Sullivan] and Brendon [Flynn], those guys play in Freya now.  So it’s cool that they’re still doing music.

HAVE YOU LISTENED TO THE NEWEST DYING FETUS ALBUM CALLED WAR OF ATTRITION?
No, I have not.  Everybody said that to us too.  But it was honestly and purely coincidental.

WELL, YOU GUYS HAVE BEEN AROUND FOR A FEW YEARS, PRIOR TO THE DYING FETUS ALBUM, AND BESIDES, THEY’RE DEATH METAL AND YOU’RE HARDCORE.
Yeah, but we had a different name before that, but I think it’s still prior to the Dying Fetus album.

SO YOU NEVER WANTED ANY LEGAL REPARATIONS FROM DYING FETUS FOR TAKING THAT NAME FOR THEIR ALBUM?
Um, no.  We thought it was best to just not push our luck with that.  Nobody’s trying to sue us, so just leave it at that. [laughs]  Play it safe.

IF YOU COULD SAY ANYTHING TO JOHN GALLAGHER [DYING FETUS] ABOUT THE ALBUM WAR OF ATTRITION, WOULD YOU HAVE ANYTHING TO SAY TO HIM?
Not having really listened, I don’t think I could comment on it.  From what I’ve heard of them, they’re really good.

WAR OF ATTRITION IS ONE OF THEIR BEST ALBUMS, SERIOUSLY!
Cool!  I’ll check it out.

ANYTHING ELSE?
I think that’s it.  Check out the new album.  That’ll do it.

COOL!  THANKS!
Thank you.

Info:
www.myspace.com/unholy

Commented the band: “We shot the video for our song ‘The Serpent’s Tongue’ and Thunder Down Country Productions does great work and brings a lot to the table. We feel they really brought the image of the song to life with the set and storyline. We’re all really excited to see how the video turns out. Thunder Down Country were amazing to work with, and we are very confident in what they’re going to do.”

“The Serpent’s Tongue” comes off THE CRIMSON ARMADA’s new album, “Guardians”, which is scheduled for a July 7 release via Metal Blade Records. The CD was recorded at Foundation Studios in Cornersville, Indiana.

THE CRIMSON ARMADA is a group of five young metalheads who are about metal as much as they are having a good time and spreading a positive message.

Formed in early 2007, THE CRIMSON ARMADA came together to go beyond just playing metal by paying tribute to various forms of the heavy style, combining their diverse influences and their spiritual messages encrypted within the lyrics – something that fans who choose to look into the deeper meaning of the lyrics will find uplifting all whilst experiencing THE CRIMSON ARMADA’s truly heavy style of playing.

Compare the main keyboard riff in Genesis’ ‘That’s All’ to the wierd keyboard riff in NIN ‘Down In It’ that first comes in at the 19 second mark, repeats off and on throughout the song and is the main closing theme.

Wierd huh? Or am I nuts? Your thoughts?

GENESIS – ‘That’s All’

Click here to view the embedded video.

N.I.N. – ‘Down In It’

Click here to view the embedded video.

MOTH EATER, Beers Village, NY - based Metal/Doom band  have will be performing their first show on June 5th at the Ace Of Clubs in New York City at 10PM. The band will sharing the stage with GODS GREEN EARTH, ANGELO DIABLO (featuring members of NY Hardcore band IRATE) and BEHIND THE BULLET. 

MOTH EATER is a band that consists of guitarist John Conley of SCAR CULTURE (Century Media Records), Dave Ardolina of DIRTY RIG (The Music Cartel/ Escapi Music), Buckshot on bass from DIRTY RIG (The Music Cartel/Escapi Music) and vocalist John Alaia. The band will be entering the recording studio at the end of June to record their debut CD which will be released at the end of summer.

Since putting up their 3 preview demo tracks on their myspace page, MOTH EATER has been averaging almost a 1000 plays a day. These tracks were written and recorded in the bands first 8 rehearsals. You can check out the bands Myspace page at: www.myspace.com/motheater667

The band has been documenting each of their rehearsals and just posted a new 3 minute pre rehearsal intoxicated video titled “The Writing Sessions: Part II – MOTH EATER Parking Lot“.