Even though it’s happened in rock history before, it has been a while since a band in their prime of their commercial success has lost a member. Mourning the December 2009 death of drummer Jimmy ‘The Rev” [...]]]>

Not quite "Waking The Fallen", but I'll take this over Nickelback any day of the week.

Even though it’s happened in rock history before, it has been a while since a band in their prime of their commercial success has lost a member. Mourning the December 2009 death of drummer Jimmy ‘The Rev” Sullivan, the rest of Avenged Sevenfold decided to carry on and record their fifth album, “Nightmare”.
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Armed with one of Sullivan’s drumming idols, Dream Theater’s Mike Portnoy, the Orange County band is ready to head to the top of the hard rock mountain, and “Nightmare” shows us that they might be ready for it.

The album starts off crunchy and heavy enough, with the 1-2 punch of the title track and “Welcome To the Family” (which really doesn’t kick into high gear until about halfway through). Throughout the album, the guitar combo of Synster Gates and Zacky Vengeance prove why their guitar work might be the most exciting riffage in hard rock music today, as the two play off each other well. Listening to a cut like “Natural Born Killer” or the powerful “God Hates Us” gives you a glimpse of the sonic fury the band is quite capable of.

Even with the moments that flash back to albums like the stellar combo of “Waking The Fallen” and “City Of Evil”, the album begins to vary off in some of the power ballad-ish, more radio friendly material that dominated the self-titled album. With the band being more than avid Guns n Roses fans, I saw the last album being their “Use Your Illusion” album. Does this make “Nightmare” their “Spaghetti Incident”? Not at all, but songs like “So Far Away” and “Buried Alive” might excite newer fans, but may need multiple listens in order for older fans to fully enjoy. But in the same respect, you have to appreciate the band’s continuing attempt at a wide diversity of blending genres- from the almost country twang of “Victim” and the quite surprisingly tasteful piano ballad “Tonight the World Ends”.

I also considered Sullivan a highly skilled drummer that always seemed humble and respectable in interviews, and I am not sure how much of the drum parts were planned out prior to his death- but bringing Portnoy not only keeps Sullivan’s spirit alive, but takes the musicianship to another level. I’ve never been a major Dream Theater fan, but have always appreciated the level of playing from Portnoy and it carries over really well here and definitely makes the best of what is sure to be a somber time in the band’s history.

All in all, “Nightmare” may not be the return to the days of the band transitioning between metalcore and traditional metal that drove me to the band 6-7 years ago, but let’s face it- it’s still better than the sea of faceless, bland rock bands dominating the radio right now.

The Montreal based dance duo Chromeo has already had quite the summer, as they got to perform with one of their heroes when they took the stage with Daryl Hall at this year’s Bonnaroo Festival back in June. With the duo of [...]]]>

Chromeo keeps it "Casual" at the Majestic August 5th.

The Montreal based dance duo Chromeo has already had quite the summer, as they got to perform with one of their heroes when they took the stage with Daryl Hall at this year’s Bonnaroo Festival back in June. With the duo of Patrick Gemayel and David Macklovitch enjoying some new found success, Chromeo is preparing for the August 17^th release of their third album, “Business Casual”.

The album plans to be a major step forward in their quest for dance global domination. In a short phrase, David Macklovitch described the album’s vibe as simply “sex & the trials of love”- quite universal themes, no matter what era you’re in.

The duo are longtime friends and played in a few bands in Montreal prior to forming Chromeo. Before their U.S. tour began, I had a chance to speak with Chromeo guitarist/vocalist Macklovitch about performing with one of their idols and the aspirations for the new album.

Here’s my interview with David:

AM: What was the band’s mindset going into this album versus past albums?
DM: Well, it’s a bit different than the last record because it was successful (laughs). I think with the last record, we were trying to establish and master our sound. This time around- we definitely wanted to improve the lyrics, the song structure and add a layer of sophistication to our music. We really wanted to perfect the song structure and harmonies on the songs this time around..

AM: What sort of music influenced the group when growing up in Montreal?
DM: Growing up in the era that we did, we were heavily influenced by groups like Hall & Oates, but most of our influences were based with the hip-hop generation and the mid-90’s era of that music. That’s how we discovered funk music- through all of the samples used in the hip-hop songs and went back and started listening to those songs and see where the rap songs took them from.

AM: How did you guys end up meeting and working with Daryl Hall, including the performance together at Bonnaroo?
DM: We met him when we did this web-based show called “Live at Daryl’s House”, where different bands play with Daryl and do interviews. We got along really well and I guess our show with him was the most viewed show that he had. People really liked the whole cross-generational deal with us performing with him. We decided to take it on the road when we performed with him at Bonnaroo, and it was amazing.

AM: How did you get involved in the different remixes that Chromeo has done over the years?
DM: Well, working with Lenny Kravitz was more out of a corporate deal where it was done for a product. But most of the other ones were done just out of being friends with some of those people. We are friends with Vampire Weekend and decided to work with them; I met Feist in Paris and started collaborating from there. I enjoy creating your own spin on a song and this definitely does that.

AM: You and Patrick have been friends for a long time- has the friendship changed over the years with being in a group together?
DM: Well, it hasn’t really changed all that much over the years. We’re the same two buddies that we were when we were growing up. We’ll get into our fights, but it’s all good at the end of the day. We’re like an old couple, like anybody’s grandparents (laughs).

Chromeo plays at the Majestic Theater on Thursday, August 5^th. Tickets are $20 and are available at www.ticketmaster.com. Additional dates and band info can be found at www.chromeo.net. Chromeo’s new album, “Business Casual”, is due out August 17^th.

Throughout the past 15 years, the music of San Diego based band Slightly Stoopid has been custom built for summertime, beaches, and for things not-so-family friendly. The punk/reggae fusion band spends at least half their year on the road, spreading those vibes [...]]]>

The mellow vibes of Slightly Stoopid invade Detroit August 4th.

Throughout the past 15 years, the music of San Diego based band Slightly Stoopid has been custom built for summertime, beaches, and for things not-so-family friendly. The punk/reggae fusion band spends at least half their year on the road, spreading those vibes to fans across the States and Europe.

After two releases in as many years in 2007 and 2008, the band is already starting work on their upcoming album, which is due out sometime in 2011. Even though the band is recording, it hasn’t stopped them from getting out on the road for their summer tour. This year’s summer tour will also include dates with Cypress Hill and a spot at Lollapalooza in August, with the U.S. tour wrapping up with the Austin City Limits festival this fall.

Before the tour’s opening gig in Portland, I had a chance to talk with Slightly Stoopid drummer Ryan Moran, and discussed the success of the single “2 A.M.”, and the grind of the yearly summer tour.

Here’s my interview with Ryan:

AM: Over the years, the band’s sound has shifted from more of a punk background towards reggae- what was the main inspiration for the shift?
RM: With us, as musicians and artists- the sound of the music normally changes with what we’re listening to at that particular moment of writing and recording. Our musical output has definitely changed over the years; early on- the band was influenced far more by punk music, way more aggressive music. In the past couple of years, we’ve really started to listen to a wide range of music. We’re just trying to fun with whatever we do and not trying to take things seriously- hopefully, the fans enjoy it.

AM: Do you feel that the single “2 A.M.” has been the band’s shining moment so far?
RM: I think so. It really got people into the band that normally wouldn’t listen to us, or haven’t heard of us before. We were really, really stoked about the reception and staying power of the song so far.

AM: How was working with the late Guru on the “Chronicitis” album?
RM: It was a really great experience. It was unfortunate that we didn’t get to do the song in person with him, but we had a lot of a contact with him on the song. We ended sending him a bunch of tracks, and he was feeling the vibe on “Other Side” and we went with that. It really helped the feel of the song. It was a total honor to have him on the song and he was gone too soon.

AM: What is the toughest part about being on the road all summer, every summer?
RM: We love being on the road, but there are always going to be hard parts about being in this industry. We’re on the road anywhere from 5 to 7 months a year, and it can make things tough- a couple of guys are married now, and so on. I think the familiarity of being home is the biggest thing you miss on the road. Having the familiarity of a routine- knowing where to grab a coffee and so on is a big thing. You just want to do normal stuff and you search for a balance when on the road and you yearn for simplicity. Also, having your independence when on the road is tough, especially when you have 12-15 guys on the bus that you see day in and day out.

AM: The band started out touring with groups like Sublime- what is your take on the band’s  “reunion” tour?
RM: I think it’s great. They’ve been out of the limelight so it’s great to see them get back on tour. I’ve heard the new music, and it’s going to be exciting to see them bring it to the people. I am sure it’s gonna be successful, but there’s always gonna be issues. There are always going to be those purists that think that it’s not the same and won’t listen to it. But it sounds awesome and I’m in full support of it.

AM: With albums out in 2007, and 2008- where is the band in the recording process for the next album?
RM: We had recorded a lot of new material back in 2007 and a lot of the material went onto the “Chronicitis” album. We worked on a few new songs for the 2008 album “Slightly Not Stoned Enough…”. In 2009, we decided to take a break from recording. But at the moment, we’re about 50 to 60 percent done with the writing for the next album, but we don’t feel pressured to record. We plan on having the album out in the first half of 2011.

Slightly Stoopid play with Cypress Hill at the Fillmore Detroit on Wednesday, August 4^th. Tickets are $29.50 and are available at www.livenation.com. Additional tour dates and band info can be found at www.slightlystoopid.com.

Dysrhymthia has been one of the quite intriguing and diverse bands of the progressive metal genre since it’s debut early in the past decade. The Philadelphia based trio has four albums fused together by the band’s love of metal and jazz throughout their albums, [...]]]>

Dysrthymia plays the Magic Stick this Sunday.

Dysrhymthia has been one of the quite intriguing and diverse bands of the progressive metal genre since it’s debut early in the past decade. The Philadelphia based trio has four albums fused together by the band’s love of metal and jazz throughout their albums, with their latest album “Psychic Maps” released in the summer of 2009.

Since then, the band has been out on the road relentlessly behind the effort. Their current tour puts them on tour with like minded progressive metal band Cynic. Before a show in California, I had a chance to chat with guitarist Kevin Hufnagel about the band’s unfortunate case of lost gear a few nights before, as well as the types of music that helped inspired him to start doing music.

Here’s my interview with Kevin:

AM: How did the band hook up with the guys in Cynic for this tour?
KH: We had met Paul (Masdival- Cynic frontman) through a metal journalist that we both knew. It was good because the guys in Cynic had already heard of us and liked the integrity in the music. We just did some dates in Europe and everything went really, until we flew from Europe to L.A. a few days back and we made the flight just fine- but all of our gear and merchandise never made it on the flight back. It’s one of those things that the airline has no clue where it’s at and you can’t get a straight answer out of anybody. So, we had to buy all new gear a few days ago until the gear makes it back to us. But the first night of the show was really good.

AM: Do you feel that “Psychic Maps” is the band’s most diverse album to date?
KH: To be honest, I don’t feel this album is our most diverse. I would say that our 2^nd album, “Pretest” is probably our most diverse and had the most variety. With “Psychic Maps”, we honed in on a darker sound and came from a darker place when writing this album. We still wanted to make inventive sounds, but we really wanted to beat the listener over their heads with the music from this album.

AM: What sort of music helped inspire you to form a band like Dysrhythmia?
KH: I would say that the first music I ever had and took a liking to was classical music- it was in my house for as long as I remember. But when I was probably in the 3^rd grade, I started hanging out with these metalheads at school and they got me into metal right away. Jazz was one of those things I got into through different guitar teachers that I had over the years. I was fortunate to have teachers that really had an open mind about music and liked lots of different genres.

AM: How would you explain the band’s evolution over the years?
KH: Well, our first album is one most people don’t know about because it’s more or less a glorified demo and only 300 copies were ever pressed. We took a big leap in writing between our first and second album and I felt we really progressed as band during that time period. For our third album, it had a pretty live feel to it and it was more stripped down and raw. This album brings things kinda full circle.

AM: You release a solo album a few years back- what sort of release did it provide for you?
KH: Well, it’s an all acoustic guitar based influenced and very heavy on finger style picking influence. I think the mood is more melancholy than my stuff in Dysrhythmia. I like a lot of quiet music and this was intended for me to get up as a one man & guitar deal at a coffee shop or something. I have a second solo album ready to go, but this time, it will be far more electric guitar based than the first one.

AM: The band toured a bit with the soon to be defunct Isis- what are your feelings on their impending breakup?
KH: There are a lot of bands that don’t know when to quit- and Isis didn’t want to end up being one of those bands. The guys felt that they had hit their peak with their last couple of albums and wanted to go out on top.

Dysrhythmia plays with Cynic at the Magic Stick on Sunday, August 1^st. Tickets are $15 and are available at www.ticketmaster.com. Additional band info and tour dates can be found at www.myspace.com/dysrhythmiaband.

Forget OzzFest, forget any other major traveling festival- because the Vans Warped Tour is rolling into its 16th year and is now becoming a cross-generational event for rock fans young and old (but mostly young). The 2010 edition brings an entertaining mix [...]]]>

The Warped Tour takes over Comerica Park's parking lots this Friday.

Forget OzzFest, forget any other major traveling festival- because the Vans Warped Tour is rolling into its 16^th year and is now becoming a cross-generational event for rock fans young and old (but mostly young). The 2010 edition brings an entertaining mix of emo, old school punk and metal bands for what will most likely be a scorching day on the blacktop of the parking lots around Comerica Park.
But instead of discussing every band on the bill, here are a few intriguing prospects to check out this year at the Vans Warped Tour 2010:

Andrew W.K: If there’s one thing we can say about Andrew Wilkes-Krier- its that he likes to diversify. He finally released his long shelved album earlier this year, as well as a EP of new age piano numbers called “Cadillac 55” late last year. With hosting the Revolver Golden Gods Awards and running a nightclub- does Andrew have time to tour? I am sure he’ll be just fine.

Bring Me The Horizon: The best thing about the final Taste of Chaos tour in 2009, the great Brit hope for metal is gearing up to release their next album, out this fall. But for now, get sweaty and crazy to their debut, “Suicide Season”.

Every Time I Die: Hey guys, Detroit misses you…don’t be such a stranger to this town next time you release an album.

Mike Posner: This guy’s got a song on MTV Hits called “Cooler Than Me”- sounds like it ought to be on” Jersey Shore”.  This year’s Warped tour equivalent to Katy Perry, who played the festival in 2008. Even though he was born right here in Southfield, he’s a graduate from Duke- not exactly the hotbed of hip-hop activity.

Iwrestledabearonce: All the rage with the 15 year old metal crowd right now. The band themselves is quite talented, but needs to find a way to find cohesive songs next time around.

Pennywise & Reel Big Fish: Ok, this isn’t a double act- but this will be the extent of the “heritage” bands on Warped Tour this year and for older fans to recall seeing these bands played Warped back in the Phoenix Plaza days (ok, I’m included it that group). Pennywise has a brand new singer, and hopefully- the band doesn’t miss a beat.

Versaemerge: The band played the small Ernie Ball stage last year, and seemed to command a bigger than expected audience. This could be a breakout band in the next year and playing the main stage come Warped 2011.

The Dillinger Escape Plan: Just go see them, they’re all over the map, they’re awesome.

Over 70 bands hit the stages at Warped Tour this year, for a full listing of the bands playing in Detroit, check out www.warpedtour.com. Make sure to drink plenty of water and make sure to stay away from the sweaty guy with the “Free Hugs” shirts (because you know there will be plenty of them).

Warped Tour plays Comerica Park on Friday, July 30^th. Tickets are $33 and are available at www.ticketmaster.com. For additional dates and info, check out www.warpedtour.com.

Two of the biggest names of the techno/industrial world of the genre’s early 90’s heyday are heading out as Lords of Acid and My Life With The Thrill Kill Kult are out on tour together as they co-headline the “Sextreme Ball” tour.

The bands toured [...]]]>

Lords of Acid hit Blondie's this Wednesday.

Two of the biggest names of the techno/industrial world of the genre’s early 90’s heyday are heading out as Lords of Acid and My Life With The Thrill Kill Kult are out on tour together as they co-headline the “Sextreme Ball” tour.

The bands toured together in 1995, under the “Sextasy Ball” moniker and the two groups are united and giving the fans a updated version of the group’s set that will be based heavily in, you guessed it, sex….

With songs titles like “I Must Increase My Bust” and “Rubber Doll” (believe me, these are two of the titles I can actually use on a PG-13 friendly website), you know that sex will be on the brain for the longtime German techno mavens Lords of Acid. The brainchild of Praga Khan (born Maurice Engelen), the band hasn’t released an album since their best-of compliation in 2002.

Out on the road with the band as a guest vocalist is Lacey Conner, who reality show fans might know as a “villain” on one of the seasons of VH1’s “Rock Of Love”. Somehow, I don’t see a battle between suitorettes of Bret Michaels ensuing at this show.

Meanwhile, Chicago based industrial group My Life With The Thrill Kill Kult were darlings of the early industrial scene, with songs like “Sex On Wheels” getting major exposure, thanks to movies of the era such as “Cool World” and “The Crow”. The band has been a bit more active than Lords of Acid this past decade, releasing their most recent album, entitled “Death Threat” last year. The band’s still deliver a tried and true form of industrial that will keep fans old and new satisfied.

The Sextreme Ball lasts through the middle of August, but the tour makes a stop in Detroit as the groups hit Blondie’s on Wednesday, July 28^th. It is sure to be a lesson in carnal debauchery as Lords of Acid and My Life With The Thrill Kill Kult show how industrial should sound.

”The Sextreme Ball” featuring Lords of Acid and My Life With The Thrill Kill Kult play at Blondies on Wednesday, July 28^th. Tickets are $20 and are available at www.ticketmaster.com. Additional dates and tour info can be found at www.sextremeball.com.

Being into bands like Kiss, the Misfits and so on generally aren’t the signs of being an outcast as much as they used to be- but there are certainly some areas of the States where it still could be. Growing up in Kentucky, [...]]]>

Black Veil Brides play this Friday at the I-Rock.

Being into bands like Kiss, the Misfits and so on generally aren’t the signs of being an outcast as much as they used to be- but there are certainly some areas of the States where it still could be. Growing up in Kentucky, lead singer of the LA based band Black Veil Brides, Andy Six, listening to those bands still faced a lot of that venom from fellow students when he was younger.

Those influences and others helped Andy head out to LA and start the Brides. After touring for a couple of years, the 19 year old Andy leads the Brides into their first major tour throughout the States in support of their upcoming release, “We Stitch Those Wounds” (due out July 20^th).

Before a show in Houston, I had a chance to talk with Andy about what to expect from the upcoming album and how he found the bands that helped shape his music interests. Here’s my interview with Andy:

AM: With the album coming out soon, what is your mood going into the release?
AS: There is a lot of excitement, but also a sense of accomplishment. Ultimately, I set out to make an record that I wanted to make and sounds like something I would listen to. I hope lyrically and musically, it makes an impression on people. I’ve been doing this since I was 14, it’s the only band I’ve been in and I want to band this band like bands I want to go see.

AM: What sort of influences go into the band’s sound?
AS: When starting out with the band, I was a bit selfish about how I wanted the band to sound (laughs). I set out to be a band like Motley Crue or Kiss, but definitely something more epic. As much as I love Kiss, I think the lyrical content maybe wasn’t the most emotional- so with my music, I set out to make the lyrics where more people would connect with it on an emotional level. Along with those bands, I was influenced by bands like Hot Water Music and Alkaline Trio as well.

AM: What was your initial exposure to a band like Kiss?
AS: My earliest memory of discovering Kiss when I was 5. My dad was a musician who was in a bunch of punk bands and was a major Kiss fan. One day, he came down with a box full of trading cards and had Kiss trading cards- it was a rite of passage in a way. I looked at these guys as superheroes, like Batman or something. The first album I got into by the band was “Revenge” and it just started from there.

AM: How did your liking for those bands affect your motivation to start a band?
AS: You have to belief in yourself. In school in Kentucky, I was a bit of a loner and didn’t have friends. Living in a place like that, when you dress up like a member of Kiss, it kinda limits the friends you’re gonna have (laughs). But it spurred me to become something big. And now, I want to help other kids through tough times and inner strife. I enjoy going to places like Texas, and see these kids that looked like me all together and getting into a show- sometimes a show like that is far more intense than something in LA or something.

AM: What can we expect from a Black Veil Brides show?
AS: There are lot of ideas. At this point, we all feed off each other’s energy in the show. What we may lack in a stage show because we’re just starting out, we definitely make up for in the energy of the show. We want there to be nothing more entertaining than a Black Veil Brides show.

Black Veil Brides play the I-Rock Nightclub on Friday, July 23^rd. Tickets are $12 and are available at www.etix.com. Additional dates and band info can be found at www.myspace.com/blackveilbrides.

Burton Bell is having quite the 2010 so far. Not only has the reunion with Fear Factory founder Dino Cazares yielded a stellar return-to-form album (Mechanize), but Burton is gearing up to release another [...]]]>

City of Fire's debut is out in late August- until then, Fear Factory hits Harpo's on July 21st.

Burton Bell is having quite the 2010 so far. Not only has the reunion with Fear Factory founder Dino Cazares yielded a stellar return-to-form album (Mechanize), but Burton is gearing up to release another project called City of Fire. City of Fire was the brainchild of current Fear Factory member Bryon Stroud, who joined forces with Bell for this new project during a break in Vancouver a couple years ago.

City of Fire promises to be a bit different than Fear Factory, as well as the material Burton has done with his Ascension of the Watchers project. This in all makes Bell a very busy, sought after man these days.

I had a chance to catch up with Bell before a Fear Factory show while fighting crowd noise at a Detroit Tigers game (damn fans couldn’t shut up for 15 minutes), but everything went fine. We discussed how he manages to keep all the projects in order and how the City of Fire project varies from his other bands. Here’s my interview with Burton Bell:

MCB: How did the City of Fire project first come about?
BB: All of it happened pretty quickly. When Byron (Stroud) joined Fear Factory, we shared the same managers and we got to hang out a lot. We were into the same sort of music and always seemed to have a good time when playing together, so we decided to start this up. We invited a friend of ours, (guitarist) Terry Murray and Byron sent me some demos he had been working on. I liked the hard rock groove and grungy sound the songs we had. The energy was good and we went from there.

MCB: What are the major differences in your mind between City of Fire, Fear Factory and Ascension of the Watchers?
BB: They are all definitely different, my voice is the only thing that is the constant throughout the three different groups. With Fear Factory, it keeps that industrial sound, that heavy and aggressive style to it. With Ascension of the Watchers, it is my labor of love. It’s far more introspective, spiritual and probably has my most personal lyrics and material on it. With City of Fire, it comes from more of a hard rock, 70s’ish type of groove on it. It has a vibe that’s far different than the other bands and gets a lot into losing someone, lost love- far more universal themes that everyone can relate to. It brings the sex back into rock and roll (laughs).

MCB: How much different will the finished City of Fire album sound versus the early songs that are on places like You Tube?
BB: When we worked on those early demos, some were in 2008, some in 2009- and they were still very raw. The riffs have been refined and polished a bit more. There was some definite tweaking of my vocals and the lyrics. But once it’s out August 24^th, you’ll see just how different the finished product is versus the demos from back then.

MCB: With all of these bands going on, how do you keep them all in line?
BB: You have to balance it properly and you always have to have a schedule and keep everything separate. But over time, I realized that just having one band just doesn’t cut it anymore. You have to have different outlets for your music, and I think the three projects I’m doing definitely satisfy my needs. You look at guys like Corey Taylor, Josh Homme, Dave Grohl- people like that also have the need to explore their creativity through multiple ways.

MCB: For the Ascension of the Watchers album, how did you initially hook up with Al Jourgenson (of Ministry fame)?
BB: Back in 2007, I had heard through someone that Al was planning on recording the last Ministry album. I was completely surprised, but I knew I had to get on that record and be a part of it. So, they put us in touch and I ended up doing a song called “End Of Days” and worked on a song with Tommy Victor as well. While I was doing the first Ascension album, I got to work with Al again and I wanted to work and learn as much from him as I could.

MCB: When will we see City of Fire out on the road?
BB: We are doing to pull double duty for Fear Factory on a few shows on this tour. But we have a fall tour planned with Soulfly and plan on doing some dates overseas later in the year. Right now, we’re doing the Fear Factory tour and expect a good time, lots of classic and new tracks. We really put a lot of effort into Mechanize and we’re ready to show people.

Fear Factory plays Harpo’s on Wednesday, July 21^st. Tickets are $17 and are available at www.etix.com. Additional Fear Factory band info and tour dates can be found at www.fearfactorymusic.com. City Of Fire’s self titled debut is due out August 24^th on Candelight Records. For additional band info, check out www.cityoffire.com for more details.

Anybody that knows me knows just how much of a hair metal dork I am. You can routinely find me listening to Hair Nation on Sirius most weekends, followed by healthy doses of “Metal Mania” on VH1 Classic. So, it was a no-brainer [...]]]>

Ratt n Roll is back with the release of Infestation.

Anybody that knows me knows just how much of a hair metal dork I am. You can routinely find me listening to Hair Nation on Sirius most weekends, followed by healthy doses of “Metal Mania” on VH1 Classic. So, it was a no-brainer for me when I received the request to interview one of the titans of the 80s Sunset Strip scene, Ratt.  Ratt is out with their first album since 1999, Infestation, and it doesn’t try and keep up with trends or anything- it is tried and true “Ratt ‘n Roll.”

Before their show at the unbelievably sweltering Harpo’s, in which the band played a awesome 75-minute hit filled set, I had a chance to interview guitarist Warren DiMartini. The inner 14-year-old inside of me was completely geeking out to songs like “Back For More” and “Lay It Down” and enjoyed every second of it. Warren and I discussed the mindset with the new album and the guitarists he looked to for inspiration. Here’s my interview with Warren:

MyCityBuzz: What was the mindset going into recording Infestation?
Warren DiMartini: We loosely wanted to revisit the idea and sound of the music that would have come out sometime between the albums Out of the Cellar and Invasion Of Your Privacy. It was to show where our heads were at around ’84 or ’85 and then didn’t want to sit there and work on things for too long- like we did then. We really went for a gut instinct on a lot of the songs and not spend too long over-thinking the songs.

MCB: How do you feel this recording process was different than the process for the self-titled album in 1999?
WD: In ’99, we were exploring a lot of other styles and exploring the idea of the album more. We spent a lot more time of demos and rewrites back then versus now. So, I think that was the major difference this time around.

MCB: What sort of new lyrics and topics showed up on Infestation that didn’t show up on previous albums?
WD: Every time we get together and create new material, there’s always a different element to it- so it’s hard to compare one album versus another. I think stylistically we were going in with a different energy than in the past- so I think that was the only real premeditated option we had going in. We wanted to keep the music very up-tempo, very bright, something that had a continuity from beginning to end.

MCB: How did the band decide on Carlos Cavazo (ex-Quiet Riot) as the band’s new guitarist?
WD: I guess about 3 or 4 years ago, we were gonna get close to a situation where we thought we were gonna have to replace someone. It was back then that I thought about approaching Carlos, but we ended up not doing anything at the time and it just kinda blew over. 2 or 3 years went by, and I still had in my head about the idea about getting Carlos. We’re not a band who liked a lot of member changes, because I think it makes the musicianship better if you’ve played with the same guys for a while. But sometimes, you have no other choice and in this situation- Carlos was the first guy I called.

MCB: As a guitarist- who did you idolize in the past and who did you admire as guitarist back then and now?
WD: I always looked at bands like the Scorpions, UFO, definitely Van Halen- those kinda groups were what I was listening to when I joined Ratt. Those are the bands I looked up to coming up. There are plenty more, but that’s the short list.

MCB: The band has done some of the cruises, such as the Motley Cruise. Does the band have anymore of those planned?
WD: We have nothing at the moment, but that’s just because we haven’t booked any. But having said that, we had a really good time on them and definitely would consider doing one again.

Ratt continues their Infestation tour through the rest of the year. For more dates and band info, check out www.therattpack.com. Their brand new album, Infestation, is out now on Roadrunner/Loud & Proud Records.

In a lot of music industry circles, making it big in America is the ultimate goal for most people planning musical world domination. For the guys in the South African based band Civil Twilight, moving to the U.S. was an [...]]]>

Civil Twilight plays as part of the 89X Birthday Bash this Friday.

In a lot of music industry circles, making it big in America is the ultimate goal for most people planning musical world domination. For the guys in the South African based band Civil Twilight, moving to the U.S. was an important piece for their quest for fame and notoriety.

Civil Twilight moved from Cape Town, South Africa to Los Angeles in 2005 and are now starting to see their fruits of their labor come to life. The trio released their self-titled debut album last year and have been on the road relentlessly since. The band is currently out on the road with Neon Trees through the end of July.

I had a chance to talk with Civil Twilight frontman Steve McKellar before the band played a date over on the East Coast. We discussed the transition from South Africa to America, and the band’s music used on numerous television shows. Here’s my interview with Steve:

MyCityBuzz: Growing up in South Africa, what were some of the ways you were exposed to music outside of that country?
Steve McKellar: There are a lot of bands from Britain that really shaped our music and helped influenced the direction we went in. When we were younger back in South Africa, one of the national radio stations (5FM) played rock music, mostly from England on Sunday nights for two hours. So, we were exposed to bands like Oasis and The Verve on that show, as well as American bands like the Pixies and Nirvana as well.

MCB: When you finally came to the States, what were some of the biggest hurdles you had to face?
SM: The biggest challenge was the whole culture of the music industry once we got here. The pace of life is far different here than in South Africa and there was a lot to learn. I always say moving to Los Angeles was like jumping off the deep end of the pool right off the bat. It was so vastly different than what we were used to and there’s so much more risk involved in the industry here. The stakes are definitely higher and so is the competitiveness of the bands here as well. We were three guys that were used to playing shows for friends and parties, so we didn’t understanding the concept of touring and a gig until we got here- so that is something we had to learn about right away.

MCB: What do you consider to be the major themes of the debut album?
SM: Looking back at it now, I think it has a lot to do with the transition and exposure to the new culture we were around. There was some definite culture shock that took place and we were totally alienated from this culture. It was an intense and dramatic experience- it’s like walking into a heavy rain without getting wet (laughs). That’s what I tell people usually…

MCB: How surprising was it to hear the band’s music used on television shows here in the States?
SM: It was a bit weird and we wouldn’t have known about the songs on TV because we really don’t watch TV- people we knew kept telling us a certain songs ended up on a certain show. I did hear one of the songs on an episode of “House” and it seemed a bit odd with the song being used during an operation scene. But there were a lot of people that said that they got a real emotional connection from that song in the scene- so it might seem weird, but it works.

MCB: What are the hardest and easiest parts about touring here?
SM: You know, I love every bit of touring to be honest. I like hauling the gear and equipment, meeting different people in new cities and all of that. If there is a obstacle on the road, it is making sure you get along with everyone and respecting everybody in the band and other musicians. But being out on the road makes me love music and being a musician even more.

Civil Twilight plays as part of the 89X Birthday Bash with Sublime, Rome and others at the Fillmore Detroit on Friday, July 16^th. Tickets range from $30-$45 and are available at www.livenation.com. Additional band dates and info can be found at www.civiltwilightband.com.