Rock Voltage Magazine 1.3 Proof 1 by Milestone Media Group, Inc.

Rock Voltage, a modern rock and roll magazine profiling local artists and venues in the mid-atlantic region and beyond, has now launched its second magazine. We cover the lifestyles of local, regional and national rock stars, plus emerging artists, and offer insider tips on recording and breaking out in the music industry. Readers will also find music, concert and album reviews from our experts at Mid-Atlantic Rock Reviews, local journalists and industry professionals. We will feature exclusive band interviews, contests, reader polls and creative ways to interact with local artists. Rock Voltage was founded on the premise of educating and stimulating the local public about the musical talent that exists in the region. We bring you the very best of a modern mixed-media experience: a familiar magazine reading format, available on your computer, laptop, tablet or mobile device anytime, and that instantly connects to music, videos and your favorite advertisers with a single click.

Groundwire Records and Groundwire Entertainment are the publishing arm of Rock Voltage magazine, providing quality services to artists, consumers and the entertainment industry. Groundwire Records and Groundwire Entertainment are both committed to fairness in business practices and support protection of intellectual properties of the artist. A division of Milestone Media Group, which publishes consumer magazines and expos, Groundwire Records is an independent record label and music marketing company that was created to discover, develop, produce, and publish uniquely gifted local artists and bands. Groundwire Records can be your company that takes care of your music business, allowing artists to concentrate on their creative aspirations and goals. Groundwire Entertainment is a companion company to Groundwire Records specializing in concert promotions, bookings and artist management services. They also produce a wide variety of marketing and image-building products designed to market and promote bands.

Mid-Atlantic Rock Reviews mission is to promote a positive image of rock and roll and to work tirelessly to live up to their motto “Changing the World through Rock and Roll”. MARR works with multiple charities and organizations to promote a positive image of rock and roll and to support their fellow man. Some of these efforts include selling MARR bracelets to benefit the Make-A-Wish Foundation, sponsoring a MARR Rocks for MDA Benefit concert, working with Voice of Warriors and Fallen Blue and supporting multiple other charitable projects. As Mid-Atlantic Rock Reviews enters its third year, the founding couple has expanded coverage far beyond the Mid-Atlantic Region to cover music all over the United States and beyond. MARR has added multiple contributors in the form of photographers and writers who have helped expand their coverage of rock and roll. They have a presence

at live rock and roll shows and major festivals and rock cruises all over the United States. You will always find K-rock and Ms. MARR with the crowd at shows where they meet and greet their readers, followers and MARR Rock Army members. Their unique way of covering music from a fans perspective surrounded by their followers and friends has legitimized their coverage by fans, bands promoters and record labels alike.

More information can be found on their Facebook page, Twitter and on their website at www.midatlanticrockreviews.com

CREDITS

Publisher: Mona Freedman

Editor: Jay Freedman

Casi Horstman–Lead Designer Brandyn Allman–Graphic Designer Matt Satterfield–Graphic Designer Jesse Kinn–Graphic Designer Art Direction: Jay Freedman

Contributing Writers: K-Rock Ms. MARR Lynn Cooper Brian Hardaswick Cris Malone David Schroeder Linda Cain

Publisher’s Statement:

Rock Voltage Magazine,Volume 1, Edition 2 (c) 2013 Milestone Media Group, all rights reserved. No part of this publication, including images, may be reproduced, streamed, replicated, or downloaded for commercial use or re-publication of any kind without the written permission of the publisher. Single downloads for personal enjoyment are permitted, as well as quotations, references, downloads and other reproductions for purposes of reviews or for promoting Rock Voltage or its partners, featured artists, contributors or advertisers.

All images and written material are used by permission of the authors or owners, except as indicated, who retain all rights. All linked web sites, videos and music and other files are the property of the owners and we provide links for informational and convenience uses only. No warranty in offered or implied. Plus, we don’t even know if those links will work tomorrow. Let us know if you find dead links, we’ll be glad to correct them.

All reviews, interviews and editorials are offered for education, entertainment and discussion purposes only. Views held in those articles are solely the opinions of the authors or interviewees, and not necessarily those of Milestone Media Group. Contributing Photographers: Christine Metzgar Photography Redhead LIVE! Photography Mid-Atlantic Rock Reviews Lynn Cooper Andrea Johnson

If you are reading Rock Voltage online then so are thousands of your customers, fans and music lovers. CLICK HERE to download a media kit or contact mona@groundwirerecords.com or 410.549.5490

More information can be found on their Facebook page, Twitter and on their website at www.midatlanticrockreviews.com

CREDITS

Publisher: Mona Freedman

Editor: Jay Freedman

Casi Horstman–Lead Designer Brandyn Allman–Graphic Designer Matt Satterfield–Graphic Designer Jesse Kinn–Graphic Designer Art Direction: Jay Freedman

Contributing Writers: K-Rock Ms. MARR Lynn Cooper Brian Hardaswick Cris Malone David Schroeder Linda Cain

Publisher’s Statement:

If you are reading Rock Voltage online then so are thousands of your customers, fans and music lovers. CLICK HERE to download a media kit or contact mona@groundwirerecords.com or 410.549.5490

NUCLEAR BLAST NEWS . . . . . . .4

Nuclear Blast gives us the scoop about 5 up and coming bands including Black Star Riders, Hypocrisy, Dark Sermon, Kadavar and Battle Beast.

ON THE COVER . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6 A look at the American hard rock band from Southern California, Trailerpark Rockstar.

ARTIST SPOTLIGHT . . . . . . . . . .16

We had the chance to catch up with two of the brothers from Like a Storm, Chris and Matt, while in the midst of their headlining tour to learn a bit more about them and their new album.

CHAMELEON CLUB REVIEW . . .28

MS. ROCK VOLTAGE 2013 . . . . .17

Ms. Rock Voltage is going unplugged for Spring/Summer 2013.

LIFE ON THE ROAD WITH BRIAN HARDASWICK . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22

We check in with the drum tech from Pop Evil to get a glimpse of what life is like traveling with a rock and roll band. 2

MODERN SUPERSTAR . . . . . . . .15

An interview with the band about their upcoming album and new release “Dirty Girl.”

MACHINE ELVES . . . . . . . . . . . . .26

Machine Elves is carving out a niche as a fresh sounding, hard rocking band that is hard to label into any particular sub-genre.

Performances from bands including Stars and Stereo, Flyleaf, Observe the 93rd and Drowning Pool are reviewed.

MONSTERS OF ROCK CRUISE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24 Top 10 moments on the Monsters of Rock Cruise on March 16-20, 2013 aboard the MSC Poesia with thousands of other 80’s rock and roll die hards.

SOMETIMES IT IS GOOD TO UNPLUG . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10 Acoustic performances are becoming more and more popular with not only bands, but fans as well.

BREAKING UP IS HARD ON YOU . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18 Sometimes bands break up and that's it, but sometimes bands re-align and magic happens.

NUCLEAR BLAST NEWS . . . . . . .4

Nuclear Blast gives us the scoop about 5 up and coming bands including Black Star Riders, Hypocrisy, Dark Sermon, Kadavar and Battle Beast.

ON THE COVER . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6 A look at the American hard rock band from Southern California, Trailerpark Rockstar.

ARTIST SPOTLIGHT . . . . . . . . . .16

We had the chance to catch up with two of the brothers from Like a Storm, Chris and Matt, while in the midst of their headlining tour to learn a bit more about them and their new album.

CHAMELEON CLUB REVIEW . . .28

MS. ROCK VOLTAGE 2013 . . . . .17

Ms. Rock Voltage is going unplugged for Spring/Summer 2013.

LIFE ON THE ROAD WITH BRIAN HARDASWICK . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22

We check in with the drum tech from Pop Evil to get a glimpse of what life is like traveling with a rock and roll band. 2

MODERN SUPERSTAR . . . . . . . .15

An interview with the band about their upcoming album and new release “Dirty Girl.”

MACHINE ELVES . . . . . . . . . . . . .26

Machine Elves is carving out a niche as a fresh sounding, hard rocking band that is hard to label into any particular sub-genre.

Performances from bands including Stars and Stereo, Flyleaf, Observe the 93rd and Drowning Pool are reviewed.

SOMETIMES IT IS GOOD TO UNPLUG . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10 Acoustic performances are becoming more and more popular with not only bands, but fans as well.

BREAKING UP IS HARD ON YOU . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18 Sometimes bands break up and that's it, but sometimes bands re-align and magic happens.

more energetic color. Phil Lipscomb’s bass does a great job of providing the bottom end, cutting through the powerful electric wails of Mike DeWolf’s guitar. Song after song, the band is swaying and rocking to the beat, as Richards does a great job of playing the part of colorful front man. (At one point in the night, he took the smart phone of a young woman who was recording the concert, just so he could provide her with a close-up of himself and each band member rocking out before handing it back to her.) His voice is in strong shape, alternating between mournful and melodic notes to emotive screams, each of which becomes stronger as the set presses on. He is as personable as he is musical; in between songs, he banters with the audience, and they appreciate it as much as they do the music.

Taproot: Live at The House of Rock! By: Chris Malone

In the thirteen years that Taproot has been on the road, they have had some mighty highs! The band’s sophomore album, Welcome, is pushing toward Gold Record status, and their hit single “Poem” peaked at #5 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks chart. In 2000 and 2001, they hit the stage at Ozzfest, and since then they have played alongside such notable acts as Staind, Thirty Seconds to Mars, and Flyleaf. All the while, their musical stylings have continued to evolve, most notably with the release of their conceptual sixth album, The Episodes. After having spent over a decade in the music business, it becomes apropos to see how far they’ve come as they launch a tour to celebrate their first album, The Gift, by playing it in its entirety. “Anyone who knows,” lead singer Stephen Richards deadpans into his microphone after wrapping up the band’s second song of the night, Again & Again, “we’re playing our first record all the way through. If not, fuck off…” It’s a hard rock attitude for a hard rock venue, and the crowd is loving it. The band has taken the stage at The House of Rock, a hidden gem of a venue that’s right outside of Baltimore City. The opening acts have done the job of getting the small, but dedicated crowd to loosen up; The Purge Effect provided some laid back, soulful rock, and then Black Angel Down and Dive brought

the energy up with lots of volume, lights, and angry guitar riffs. The best of the supporting acts, however, is the act to open the show. Kill Betty opened with a strong thirty minute set, bringing tight songs and a rollicking energy without the benefit of special lighting or fog machines. For a band whose members’ ages average over 40, they’ve easily proven that rock and roll isn’t just a young man’s game. Once the four opening acts have done their time, the headliners take the stage in dramatic fashion. Entrance music, something like what you might hear at a WWE event, plays over the PA, and the audience is screaming when Taproot takes the stage. Richards pours a bottle of water over his head and immediately begins to thrash as the band launches into their first song of the set, Smile. Metal signs are being thrown up, and the crowd is swaying under the waves of hard rocks chords as the ambient blue lights overhead are making everyone glow a brighter and

“I don’t know a lot about baseball,” Richards quips to one of the concert-goers after wrapping up Believed, “but that’s a cool fucking hat.” (The crowd is cheering, as the Baltimore Orioles have just beaten the Yankees earlier in the night.) “Baltimore is the only city with a team name that blends in with their city name. The Baltimorioles…” The crowd gets louder as he asks, “What the fuck is an Oriole?” A few guys from the crowd are shouting out to him, and he feeds into them with ease. “It’s a South African bird?”

The audience responds, and the band launches into the next song, Mentobe. Crowd participation is a strong part of Taproot’s set. The audience claps along to the song I, throwing their hands over their head, accompanying Richard’s vocals. When prompted, they enthusiastically yell “Hi, Dave!” to fill-in drummer Dave Coughlin before the band tears into their next song, Mirror’s Reflection. At this point, Coughlin has only been with the band for five shows, eight days total, but hasn’t missed a single beat. He plays through Taproot’s first album as if he was the guy who had been in the studio with them the whole time. When the band gets to the final two songs of the night, Day by Day and Poem, he doesn’t show signs of letting up. The crowd is excited from start to finish, singing along to the final number whenever Richards points the microphone in their direction. When their set wraps up, the band reaches out to the audience, posing for pictures, shaking hands, and giving high-fives. There is no encore song, however, despite the fact that many are chanting “We want more!” Like any great rock act, Taproot understands one of the infallible rules of rock music: Always leave them wanting more.

Taproot: Live at The House of Rock! By: Chris Malone

An interview with Mike DeWolf of Taproot Interviewed by: Chris Malone

Mike DeWolf, the guitarist for Taproot, was nice enough to sit down with Rock Voltage Magazine before his show at The House of Rock in Baltimore, MD. In this interview, Mike discusses the writing process for the band’s sixth album, “The Episodes”. Rock Voltage Magazine: Your latest album, The Episodes, sounds pretty unique. It definitely sounds like Taproot’s sound has been evolving, not exactly as “hard-edge” as one might expect. What do you think of that? Mike DeWolf: I think a lot of people think it’s actually pretty heavy. Some people think it’s pretty weird… it varies from person to person. It’s a completely different record for us to make. We basically did everything kind of ass backwards. We decided to write out an entire story first, break it down into ten chapters, or ten episodes, and then write the music to the words, like a score to a movie. The music just came from whatever felt right for the story. That was completely different. We’ve never done anything like that, and that’s why I think that album stands out on its own. RVM: So are you a fan of concept albums? Is that something you’ve always wanted to do, or was it just a spur of the moment sort of thing? MD: It was very spur of the moment. At the time, we were writing “Our Long Road Home”, and we were kind of hitting a dead end. I was watching VH1 Classic documentaries on Pink Floyd and The Who, and I was like, “Man, if we did things this way, if we wrote out a whole story first and then got the music, that would take no time at all!” My theory was if we came up with the story – it didn’t even matter what the story was, this was just an experiment – my theory was that if we came up with that first, then we could bang out a song every day. It probably took us fifteen days to write and demo the entire album, which was ridiculously fast for us. It was refreshing, so we did that right in the middle of another album, and then decided we weren’t ready to release a concept album at that time, so we went with [Our Long Road Home]. Then we released “Plead the Fifth”, and then we finally decided it was time, because we were all still really big fans of it for all this time. RVM: So is it safe to say then that this album was somewhat influenced by Pink Floyd and The Who? MD: To some extent. I mean, I’m not like a huge fan or whatever. I

obviously respect both bands, but it was just the idea of it, you know? Just a new way of writing I wanted to try out. RVM: Was everyone a part of the writing process for that? Who’s the lyricist? MD: For the most part, Steve [Richards] writes a lot of the lyrics. On that [album] in particular, Steve and myself came up with the basic story and wrote out all the lyrics. It was just me and him, we did the whole thing and banged it out. RVM: How difficult was that? Sometimes it just feels like you’re just trying to shoe-horn a poem into music. How was that? Was it a struggle? MD: No, it was super-refreshing! With albums previous, we would write the music, and it would take a considerable amount of time to put the words and melodies over music. That took up the biggest chunk of time, so that was my whole theory about doing this album… If we finish all of that first, then the music is going to be nothing, and literally, we wrote and recorded a song each day. RVM: Now, is that a situation where you guys walk away from the table, and maybe you have Phil Lipscomb come in, and he says something like, “I’ve got this really great bass that could go over these words…” or are you all just sitting in a room together, and you’re coming up with it on the spot? MD: For that album, Steve and I pretty much did everything on our own. When we came back to revisit it and re-record it for our current album today, you know, in the studio, everyone had their own ideas and expanded on things, and we kind of had to refresh the sounds, because it was four or five years old at the time. We all contribute. RVM: What’s your favorite song on The Episodes? MD: I love the whole album, but I guess I’ll go with The Everlasting. It’s pretty important to me and important to where was at the time in my life, lyrically. It’s a type of song we’ve always reached for, but never grasped, and with that one, I think we finally got it. I love that one.

Mike DeWolf is currently on tour with Taproot, celebrating their first album, “The Gift”. Check them out on their website at www.taprootmusic.com. You can also find them on Facebook.

An interview with Mike DeWolf of Taproot Interviewed by: Chris Malone

Mike DeWolf is currently on tour with Taproot, celebrating their first album, “The Gift”. Check them out on their website at www.taprootmusic.com. You can also find them on Facebook.

from the crowd right back to us. There’s nothing else like it in the world. When the fans are singing our music, word for word, and their volume is louder than ours… WOW… it doesn’t get any better than that.”

Hailing from Mar yland, Silver tung is a fourpiece hard rock band consisting of lead vocalist, Speed, drummer, Danno, lead guitarist, Z Z and bassist, Skoot.

The band has just finished their second studio release entitled, “Devil’s In The Details.”

The disc will be released on October 15 th although they will have copies available at Silvertung brings a fresh, infectious sound to their October 12th show with Sevendust. A the music scene. The four man modern rock special release par ty will be held on band self-released their first full length CD October 19th (editor note: check ‘The Pawn,’ featuring songs the band’s official website, such as the anthemic “I think ‘The Pawn’ Silvertung.com for location). “Slow Me Down,” the hard

is a great CD,” Speed

driving “I Am” and the “Devil’s In The Details” was proreflects, “but this power ful title track “The duced by Steven Wright, group of songs is Pawn”. Front man Speed (Slipknot, U.N.K.L.E, Miser y definitely special. says, “I’m amazed at the Index, Drowning Pool, SR-71, positive response we Charm City Devils, Avril Lavigne). receive from these songs. At ever y show On “Devil’s In The Details,” Silver tung people are screaming “Play ‘Dig,’ or ‘Lies’… delivers a more consistent powerhouse of it’s like they can’t get enough (laughs) – great songs. A key ingredient is the addition and hey, that’s just fine with us!!” of lead guitarist Z Z .

“I think ‘The Pawn’ is a great CD,” Speed reflects, “but this group of songs is definitely special. It’s much more diverse, and ‘deeper’.” Bassist Skoot agrees adding, “I’ve heard other songwriters say that their music has ’matured’… but, for us, we found the confidence to open up and write what we wanted to write, and say what we wanted to say. We wrote songs with attitude, humor, and that w ill make you cr y. Personally, it’s the kind of CD that I’d want to go out and buy.” Silver tung has shared the stage with national acts: Godsmack, Disturbed, Shinedow n, Slipknot, Chevelle, Staind, Papa Roach, Buckcherr y, Hailstorm, Adelitas Way, My Darkest Days, Filter, Drowning Pool, P.O.D., Pop Evil, Nonpoint, Charm City Devils, Smile Empty Soul and In This Moment. When you see Silver tung live, be prepared to have your fist pumping in the air and your hear t racing. Their musical marksmanship, high energy stage show, and crowd interaction add up to an exhilarating experience. Lead guitarist Z Z has this to say…“we are passionate about live music – the exchange of energy from us to the crowd, and then

Silver tung continue to earn a solid reputation and a growing legion of fans, known as “The Tung Nation.” “We can’t thank our fans enough,” says drummer Danno. “Let’s face it, without them, we are nothing. We always tr y to spend as much time with fans as possible. Each of us agree that meeting people is really one of the most fun par ts of this job. Come out to a show and say ‘Hello’ (laughs).” This is only the beginning… the release of the “Devil’s In The Details” out October 15th, the band continues to write new material… play more live shows… and spread the disease known to their die-hard legion of fans as “The Tung Nation.”

For more information, visit their official website: Silvertung.com

Hailing from Mar yland, Silver tung is a fourpiece hard rock band consisting of lead vocalist, Speed, drummer, Danno, lead guitarist, Z Z and bassist, Skoot.

The band has just finished their second studio release entitled, “Devil’s In The Details.”

is a great CD,” Speed

For more information, visit their official website: Silvertung.com

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R 3 ) R ?2 R F E G J R M N 3 In June of 2011, Mid-Atlantic Rock Reviews added a feature to their coverage called Behind The Bands. The concept was a simple one: a 15 minute interview with a band, with some live footage mixed in. The very first band interviewed in that series was Baltimore’s Kill Betty, and I have been a die hard fan of this band ever since. Mid-Atlantic Rock Reviews thought enough of the band that each of the 65 subsequent episodes of the show have featured Kill Betty’s song “Crumble” as the theme music. The band is in some ways a throwback to the good old days when straight forward, in your face rock an roll was what mattered in a band. It wasn’t about a gimmick, it wasn’t about sampling and super 3D light shows, but it was about great songwriting, hard driving rock tunes, energy on stage and tunes you want to crank up and blare out the windows. In 2010 the band released a self-titled EP that has 5 incredible rock and roll songs that have not only made for great listening to at home, but are tunes that have given Kill Betty a setlist that has been impressing live audiences everywhere they play. WIth momentum building and a great live set already in place, the band was noticed and signed by Sony Manta Ray Records in 2013 and released the phenomenal follow up to the self-titled EP entitled “Bet- Kill Betty’s New Album ter Off Dead”. This amazing album released in May, 2013 features 2 tunes from the first EP in “Crazy” and “Sometimes”, and then 5 hard rocking tunes that I absolutely cannot say enough good about. It was just last night that I had the chance to see the band unveil their brand new music video for “The Way You Are” at Ram’s Head Live in the band’s home town of Baltimore, MD. It’s a great tune and a very well produced music video produced by Edgar David Nazario who is also a musician himself and is the front-man for the band The Purge Effect.

start with “Crazy” and “Drive Me Insane” if you are truly limited to a tune or two, but you can’t go wrong with picking up the entire album on this one. It is an album that Mid-Atlantic Rock Reviews gave the coveted “must own” rating to, which only comes along once in a while.

Kill Betty is a four piece band who has 4 great players with a flawless chemistry on stage. Lead singer Mike Seimes is a great entertaining frontman with a raw singing voice that has always reminded me of the legendary Kevin Dubrow. The band’s bass player John Urbanski is a monster on bass. I’ve had the chance on more than one occasion to watch bass players from other bands marvel at John’s talent as they watch him perform at live shows. Rounding out the lineup are two other rock solid musicians in Todd Zeller on lead guitar and Matt Bowers on drums who round out a rock solid set of musicians. I’d be really hard pressed to pick a favorite tune on the band’s new album “Better Off Dead” because there are no weak tunes on the release. If pressed I would have to suggest listeners

The band has had a big summer playing live shows including their addition to The MidAtlantic Rock Festival where they shared the bill with the likes of Pop Evil, Nonpoint and many other heavy hitters in the hard rock world and we expect that as momentum continues to build for Kill Betty they will continue to be a fan magnet at every live show they play.

Formed in the winter of 2010, Dividing Face brings rock n roll back to its purest form. Blending the sounds of blues, hard rock, classic rock, southern rock, and 80s rock, their songs find a way to connect to their audience regardless of genre. Their lyrics tell stories that people can relate to, but when you listen to the music, it will make you want to groove. Quickly becoming known for their energetic live shows, Dividing Face is set out to complete a mission. That is to rock as many faces as possible and to write the soundtrack of people's lives to help them through their day. So come out and catch a Dividing Face live show and Get Faced!

WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/DIVIDINGFACE

CONFESSIONS OF A FANATICAL OBSSESIVE MUSIC COLLECTOR by David Schroeder

Let’s start by stating that there can be a very fine line between “collecting” and “hoarding”. I’ve always been far too neat and organized to be considered a hoarder. No matter how ridiculous my collection has been, it’s always been in alphabetical, chronological order and kept neat and clean. Records in plastic sleeves stored vertically and cds on shelve or rotating towers. The idea is to be able to enjoy what you purchase so you can show it off, or listen to it when you like. I’ve been able to sell, give away, or throw away items from my collection whenever I found it necessary. Keeping something in a way that will eventually ruin it just doesn’t make sense to me. I was born in 1965 (yeah, that long ago) and remember living in the suburbs of Baltimore listening to the radio and getting thrilled by the music that I was hearing. As a kid you're open to anything and everything and you just want to absorb it all and hear as much as possible. You don’t have a prejudice against anything but you form opinions of what you like and dislike through experience. I remember making tapes of songs from the radio by placing my Panasonic tape recorder up to the speaker of the radio and simultaneously pushing down on the 'PLAY' and "RECORD' buttons so I could capture songs that I wanted to listen to whenever I wanted to hear them again. We've certainly come a long way from that primitive set up haven't we? Years go by and I'm making a small allowance by cutting lawns and doing other child slavery chores that parents make their kids do (but I enjoyed it), and I find myself at Golden Ring Mall in Musicland with the desire to buy my first 7 inch vinyl record. Now being the open minded free spirited brat that I was, I decided that whatever was #1 on the singles

chart at the time was what I was going to buy... because it had to be great... because that's how the charts worked (don't miss my hindsight sarcasm there). Now according to Wikipedia, I must have been in Musicland the week of January 31, 1976 (making me the big 10 1/2 years old) because The Ohio Players "Love Rollercoaster" was #1 on the Billboard top 200 at the time and that's what I purchased, and that's where my music collecting was born. Ya know what? That song is still killer! For a while I purchased a variety of different 45's because that's all I could afford; however, in the 6th grade all my friends are talking about this cool band named KISS! So of course I had to be cool also and find out what KISS is all about; so, I saved my allowance until I could buy a full-length album. I'm not sure which KISS album I purchased first, but I was hooked. These four guys (including one spaceman named Ace, who I truly believed was from another planet because that's what the liner notes said, and why would they lie?) were GODS. Whenever I had enough money I was buying another KISS album, and here is where the first of many "collector purchases" happens. I had already purchased the debut self-titled album, Dressed to Kill, Hotter than Hell, Alive, Destroyer, and Rock n Roll Over when I spot this pricey triple album titled KISS "The Originals". I notice that it's the first three albums, which I already owned; but, it came packaged differently, there were cards, a poster, a booklet, a KISS ARMY sticker... how freaking cool is that? Of course I HAD to own it, and I did as soon as I saved to money for it. It wasn’t just the music that I enjoyed, but the complete packaging of how it was presented.

CONFESSIONS OF A FANATICAL OBSSESIVE MUSIC COLLECTOR by David Schroeder

So that's how it all began. Luckily for me after a few years of collecting KISS I got into other bands that I wanted to spend my hard earned money on, which in the long run saved me probably millions, because we all know how much there is to collect of those guys… and if you consider all the merchandising that goes with KISS… forget about it! Besides, by this time they were writing crap like “Shandi” and releasing albums like Dynasty and Unmasked that made me cringe with disappointment. Meanwhile other bands like Kansas, Rainbow, Deep Purple, Yes, Pink Floyd, and others had come across my radar and I was collecting and listening to as much as possible. I worked to buy music. When you really get into a band it can lead you into discovering other bands just from doing a bit of research. Being into Deep Purple turned me onto Ian Gillan’s solo albums and his work on Jesus Christ Superstar. Rainbow lead me to discover Ronnie James Dio’s previous band Elf. YES took on paths to discover bands like Badger, and Flash, and also lead to following the individual member’s solo careers and side project (for better or worse). King Crimson’s branches grew into Emerson Lake & Palmer, UK, Robert Fripp’s many projects, Bad Company, Foreigner, and so many more. Learning the “Family Tree” of any given band can be and exciting and costly adventure. To get into all the tangents I have gone on over the years, in the name of discovering music, for whatever reason, could probably fill a book; and I’m doing my best to give you the Reader’s Digest version. I went through a new wave kick for a few years, buying records from bands like The Police, The Cars, Ultravox, Kraftwerk, and the like. But it was the

music from the 70’s that seemed to be the root of what I really enjoyed. Progressive, art rock, hard rock, whatever… it was these bands that would influence future bands I obsessed over and it was these bands that I have always obsessed over. The bands I enjoyed had such diversity, style, and uniqueness. If you didn’t grow up in that decade, you might not understand where I’m coming from. Record conventions were like religious pilgrimages for me. Huge rooms filled with so many different dealers and so many records, and music collectables, it was sensory overload, and the hunt was on as soon as you paid the cover fee, got you hand stamped, and entered the room. Promos, bootlegs, picture discs, picture shaped vinyl, posters, autographs, colored vinyl, radio shows… yes, it was heaven. If I left with any money still in my pockets it was just to get a cheap lunch. The 80's found me hooked on hard rock and the New Wave of British Heavy Metal. Iron Maiden was the band I obsessed over for many years. Derek Riggs was Maiden's Roger Dean and he created one of the best band mascots ever named Eddie who would adorn all the records, doing all kinds of unspeakable acts... EDDIE RULED! Iron Maiden is a collector’s dream band because they released so many formats of their music. There would be a 7 inch single with an unreleased B side, a picture disc 7 inch of the same item, a 12 inch maxi single of the same 2 songs that were on the 7 inch with yet another song or two added, a 12 picture disc of the same thing, and then the full length album which would also get the picture disc treatment... and of course I wanted to own them all. There were also lots of rare early pressings with great picture sleeves and Japanese imports. Just

when I thought I had collected everything possible, there was something else popping up. Howie Horowitz, owner of The Music Machine record store in Reisterstown, MD (and then Owings Mills) would make special trips to Europe and Japan and bring back records I could have never dreamed of finding. Howie would hunt down things for his customers that no one else could get here in the states. My greatest purchase from one of his trips was an original Iron Maiden Soundhouse Tapes 7 inch EP. It was the Holy Grail for Maiden collectors and I owned it. With the addition of The Soundhouse Tapes, along with the Running Free, Purgatory, Twilight Zone, Women In Uniform, and other mega rare Maiden records, my collection probably rivaled anyone else’s in the world at the time. Unfortunately many years later when I was married and money was tight many of my rare items, like the Soundhouse Tapes, had to be sold to make ends meet. You may shed a tear for me now. Vinyl was fun to collect. Big artwork, lyric sheets, gatefold covers. The great bands made the music and art work together and bands like YES had artist Dean, Pink Floyd had Storm Thorgerson (who has worked with so many bands creating iconic cover art and probably the most influential artist in the business) both who created images that blew my mind and I would find myself collecting their posters and images to this day. Roger Dean’s art work lead me to discovering the great band Budgie, at a record convention, who’s album “Never Turn You Back On A Friend” sported an amazing Dean cover. For $2 I took a chance on an album I had absolutely nothing about; but, worst case scenario was that if I didn’t like the music, I still had the great art work. Needless to say, as soon as the needle dropped down on the song “Breadfan” I was hooked. Budgie sounded like a mixture of Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath, and Rush and I “needed” their entire catalog ASAP. I was into a lot of bands, and if I liked a band I would usually have to own their entire catalog of music, because I always find it interesting how great

bands begin and how they evolve through their career. Before the world wide web, magazines like Goldmine linked collectors to sellers all over the world. The New wave of British Heavy Metal soon brought about the thrash scene, pushing the limits of heavy metal even farther. Before bands got contracts and released records, fans like me and many of my friends traded tapes with people around the globe in hopes of hearing something new and exciting. The underground tape scene was the way you would first hear bands like Metallica, Megadeth, Death Angel, Exodus, and all the other acts who were trying to make a name for themselves and score a contract. It was especially cool to read about a local band like Have Mercy or Deuce (later to become Tension) in a European metal magazine’s demo section. While still enjoying the bands that I first started collecting my musical tastes were widening and listening to bands like Deep Purple and Black Sabbath helped me get into heavier bands like Judas Priest, then Iron Maiden and Saxon, then all the bands that emerged from the thrash scene. I had amassed an incredible collection of vinyl by this time and the collection was forever growing. Cds were created in 1982 and in a few years changed the market drastically. By this time my vinyl collection was gigantic. At first I really didn’t care about the cd format. I wasn’t into Billy Joel and the artists that were first being released on this tiny little digital disc. I figured it might be a passing phase, like the 8-track. It just didn’t matter to me until all the bands I was insane for started to get released on this new technology. In 1983 I began working at the Record World chain store and I think my first venture into cds was made by purchasing about 20 discs the first day I took that big step. Hey, if you’re going to jump in, you might as well go in the deep end. The next week I probably bought the same amount. I was hooked… again. I was stunned and excited when bands like Megadeth, Slayer, Anthrax, Testament and Overkill all started coming out on compact disc. Now that I was collecting cds, this just meant tracking down promos, cd singles, European imports,

Japanese releases, limited edition releases… just like I did with vinyl. I remember going to see Death Angel at Hammerjacks on their Ultra Violence tour and getting there early with my friends Jim Seay, and Matt Crocco in hopes to meet the band outside in the parking lot. We did. And while Matt had brought his album cover to get signed I brought the cd booklet. The guys in the band had no idea their album was even released on cd. They were totally excited, and even wrote on the booklet “YEAH!!!! THE CD Thanx rage on eternally” – Mark Osegueda. “Death Angel on Compact Disk! Thanks for the support!” – Rob Cavestany “Hope you like this cd! Baltimore Kills!” – Andy Galleon. “Puke ya guts out” – Dennis Pepa (okay the last one doesn’t mention the cd… it’s just cool). Gus Pepa was M.I.A. during the time we were hanging out in their van. Signatures from members of The Ramones, Scorpions, Saxon, Porcupine Tree, King Crimson, Armored Saint, Thrice, Voivod, Tool, and several others are some of my cherished pieces in my collection.

Side of the Moon”, “Wish You Were Here”, & “The Wall”. There are companies that are repacking partial or entire catalogs by bands in mini album cardboard sleeves (or jewel cases) that get housed inside a special boxes to hold them all, I love these, and even though I already own the original cds, remastered, or reissued cds I find myself buying the box sets anyway Bands like Porcupine Tree know they have a crazy collector’s fan base and Steven Wilson caters to us by creating limited edition releases for many of the album they put out. He knows we will buy the same release in the 4 to 5 different ways it gets released and pay a premium for something truly artistic and impressive. Labels do the same thing, and I find myself buying all the different colored vinyl releases that get pressed all over the world. Voivod’s latest masterpiece “Target Earth” was released on orange, purple, red, blue, and black vinyl along with

want list. The Thrice album “Beggars” was released in a variety of different colors and I tracked all them down including the test pressing which brings the total to 10 vinyl records I have purchased just for this one album. Along with collecting music, I’ve also manage to add some really cool memorabilia to my collection. I’ve framed and hung all through my house lots of posters from Storm Thorgerson (Pink Floyd), and Roger Dean (Yes, Asia, Greenslade, and others). Images from bands like Tool, Thrice, Porcupine Tree, King Crimson, Motorhead, Voivod, Megadeth, Black Sabbath, Joe Satriani, Pearl Jam, Iron Maiden, Mr Bungle, Foo Fighters, Mordred, Rush, Clutch, Mastodon and more also fill in the empty spaces. I also have collected some other cool items such as the Rush bobble heads, The Beatles “Yellow Submarine” Todd McFarland figures, Iron Maiden “Eddie” figures & bobble heads, Pink Floyd “The Wall” character figures, and other crazy music related things. There are so many rare things in my collection that I am fortunate to have acquired or received, but a few of the really special items would include: the

I love packaging, and box sets, and have purchased the same music just because it’s presented in a different way. For Pink Floyd, I own the Shine On, Oh By The Way, and Discovery box sets, not to mention the regular cd releases that are contained in these sets, the Immersion Box sets for “The Dark

4 of 5 different versions on cd. Of course I had to have them all! The Nuclear Blast label did this with many of the Overkill albums that have come out and I now find myself with the ten inch vinyl for “Live In Oz” in red, blue, beige, copper, and green vinyl. For Overkill’s “Ironbound” double vinyl album I have acquired it in red, dusk blue, grey marble, and black, with the clear vinyl and orange vinyl still on my

Pearl Jam “TEN” door mat (which there was only a few made and placed on the floor at various record stores so customers knew where the Pearl Jam record or cd could be found) – Pearl Jam promotional hanging mobiles for “Vitalogy” and “No Code” – Steven Wilson’s side project I.E.M. “An Escalator to Christmas” in green, yellow, blue, red, and black vinyl of which only 100 of each color were made; but also, Charles from Tone Float Records offered me the white label test pressing of this release and the one of a kind vinyl made with the left over was from each color – Ramones “Mania” autographed by Joey, Johnny, Marky, & CJ when I met them at an in store appearance at Vinyl Discoveries in 1992 – Roger Dean “Virgin” rare poster. So, that’s my story of being a fanatical obsessive music collector. Something that I’m sometimes scared by (especially when years ago my credit card was maxed out because of this desire, although I have since regained control) but something that has always brought me a lot of pleasure, and have been able to make many new friends through the love of music. Besides, music is certainly a much healthier addiction than most other things.

All-Star Lessons Presents

“Tips from the Pros” This month’s pro:

You just might be sur-

Mike LaRoche from Lansdowne

prised how many doors

Hey everyone : My name is Mike LaRoche from the band Lansdowne. The most important thing you can do to get the best out of yourself and your instrument is to practice, practice, and more practice. Just when you think you are good....practice some more. Note...A lot of people “practice” their bad habits over and over again for years. I feel like after a while players get comfortable and stop challenging themselves, as I myself did at one point. That can cause you to play no better than you did when you first

it opens up for you. A couple years back, we were out on tour with Pop Evil. During our downtime, Pop Evil’s bassist Matt DiRito and I sat down with our basses and would bounce stuff off of each other. He showed me a lot of stupid little things that I could fix such as positioning, techniques and warm ups. Here is one of many warm ups that have stuck with me and still use to this day. G:—————4—2————————6—4—

started.

———————-8—6———-

I had a very rude awakening when I started recording

5——————7————7——-

in professional environments with professional wellaccredited producers. I realized very quickly that even though I had been playing for years, I had been

D:———-3————3—————-5——— A:——2——————-4———4—————6———-6——————-8—E:—1—————————5—3——————

practicing the same mistakes for years as well.

——7—5—————————9-

It made me go back to the drawing board and start

exercise. You can also try different combinations of it.

Work your way up and down the fretboard with this

from scratch. Don’t be above going back to the

If you are interested in taking

basics. Get with a teacher at least for ONE lesson

some live real time lessons with

and have them pick up on your bad habits (that you

your favorite musicians in your

aren’t aware of) and pick you apart. Challenge yourself by learning new songs in a different genre you would never explore otherwise.

favorite bands, head over to WWW.ALLSTARLESSONS.COM and reserve a lesson today.

All-Star Lessons Presents

“Tips from the Pros” This month’s pro:

You just might be sur-

Mike LaRoche from Lansdowne

prised how many doors

started.

———————-8—6———-

I had a very rude awakening when I started recording

5——————7————7——-

in professional environments with professional wellaccredited producers. I realized very quickly that even though I had been playing for years, I had been

D:———-3————3—————-5——— A:——2——————-4———4—————6———-6——————-8—E:—1—————————5—3——————

practicing the same mistakes for years as well.

——7—5—————————9-

It made me go back to the drawing board and start

exercise. You can also try different combinations of it.

Work your way up and down the fretboard with this

from scratch. Don’t be above going back to the

If you are interested in taking

basics. Get with a teacher at least for ONE lesson

some live real time lessons with

and have them pick up on your bad habits (that you

your favorite musicians in your

aren’t aware of) and pick you apart. Challenge yourself by learning new songs in a different genre you would never explore otherwise.

favorite bands, head over to WWW.ALLSTARLESSONS.COM and reserve a lesson today.

By : K - ro ck This Summer, Boston based band Lansdowne released one of our most anticipated album releases of the year with the EP entitled “No Home But The Road”. Lansdowne is a band that Rock Voltage has been following very closely since the release of their last album “Blue Collar Revolver” and a band that we love to see perform live regularly. The band’s breakout popularity is supported not only by the editors at Rock Voltage, but the readers of Mid-Atlantic Rock Reviews turned out in full force in support of the band which earned the band the coveted “Golden Horns Award” for Breakout Artist of the Year in 2012 in their readers poll. “No Home But TheRoad” marks a turning point for the band musically as they have taken full advantage of lead singer Jon Ricci’s soulful voice in adding a bit of a southern sounding flavor to the new release. If the tune “Mississippi” is any indication of what may come from this evolution we are beyond excited to hear more. This soulful tune is hands down the strongest tune on the record and has Lansdowne fans buzzing in a very positive way. It is easily my favorite tune on the release and may just be the song that earns the guys a shot at a second Golden Horns Award. I asked bass player Mike Laroche and guitarist Josh Waterman about the shift to a somewhat new sound to the band: K -r oc k: The new album is a lile bit diﬀerent than the last one isn’t it? M ik e Lar oc he : This time when we went into the studio, it wasn’t like the producer said “this is how you have to sound”, we worked with Mike Was whose studio is in Long Island and when we got in there he was very encouraging and let us do our own thing...but with his direction. He really let us be free in the studio. K -r oc k: I hope you don’t mind that I say it this way, but it’s kinda cool hearing some guys from Boston do these soulful sort of almost southern tunes.

J osh Wate rman : Yeah, it’s kinda weird with the northern/southern rock going on, but with Jon’s soulful bluesy voice that just comes natural to him it ends up working really really well. We all come from different aspects of music and we all have different inspirations. It ended up coming together really well you know...just stepping outside of the box and trying something different and what came out is what a lot of people are saying is their favorite song on the album. (Mississippi) Adding to the soulful stylings of the release is the ballad “New Day” which is another great representation of what Jon’s soulful side sounds like when combined with the classic rockin style of the band. I don’t want to paint the picture that the band has, however, lost their heavy edge, because there are two tunes that are “classic” Lansdowne and showcase the heavier side of the band that is so evident at live shows. “Burn Brighter” has some very cool riffs and has a very memorable chorus that has me nudging the volume up every time I hear it. If you are going to write a heavy tune, who beer to have helping out than Dan Donnigan of Disturbed? Well that is exactly what Lansdowne did on the tune “Frankenstein”. Dan joins the guys on “Frankenstein” which is the heaviest tune on the release and a tune likely to get some good airplay on many rock radio stations. In fact I have already spun the tune and continue to spin it on my show, The MARR Army Rock Show on www.digitalrevolutionradio.com Last but not least is “My Disaster” which has a super cool and almost funky riff to it and rounds out an EP release with five unbelievably strong tunes. Without a doubt this release earns the coveted K-rock “must own” status and is one I think is destined to keep the band’s momentum going in an exponential way. Don’t delay in adding this one to your catalog. I absolutely love this release.

¡Ä¸¶Éº¹ ¾Ã £ÄÇ»ÄÁÀ « sound system, it’s no wonder music fans voted the NorVa number one.

In the Spring of 2000 with “The Godfather of Soul” James Brown hitting the stage, the former roaring twenties’s music hall, turned premiere movie theatre, turned athletic club, re-opened as The NorVa in Norfolk, Virginia. It has since grown into one of the hottest venues in the country. So hot, that the venue was recently voted number one by the readers of Rolling Stone as the “Best Music Venue In America” in the magazine’s “Venues That Rock” poll. Over the years, the nearly 1500 capacity NorVa has hosted everyone from Prince, Bob Dylan, Snoop Dogg, Blake Shelton, Justin Timberlake, Marilyn Manson, Megadeath, Social Distortion, Deftones, Rancid, and The Shins to name a few. hey also welcome the areas local bands to play the venue’s stage as well. With the variety of shows, several bars, coat check, laid back atmosphere and a top notch

It wasn’t just the music fans showing love for the NorVa in the “Venues That Rock” poll. The venue’s partners, Rick Mersel, Bill Reid, and Scott Benton along with the entire NorVa staff have built a stellar reputation on taking care of it’s performers as well as concert goers . Perks when playing there include, a recreation room, foosball, ping pong and pool tables, multiple dressing rooms, big screen HD TVs, private living room, laundry room, full kitchen, dining room, jacuzzi, sauna, and five private showers. So it’s also not surprising they were voted into the top twenty (sixteenth to be exact) of the “ Best Big Rooms In America” category by a panel of musicians, and others in the industry.

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Rockin’ For Our Troops: By K-rock When it comes to showing support for our military there are tons of groups and organizations who honor our troops in more ways than one can easily count. However, as we travel the globe covering rock and roll bands, it has become apparent to us that the Rock and Roll community lives at the forefront of all of these groups. Everywhere we go we have encountered bands who consistently do amazing things, give of their time and money and urge their fans to do the same in support of our troops. There are some bands who are pretty well known on a national level for doing high-profile things, but what we have learned is that there are tons of bands who are only known in the mainstream music world on a limited or local basis who still do huge things to support our troops. This support comes in many ways. Some bands work with a specific organization. Consider Virginia Beach Band Seven Ten Oil. www.facebook.com/seventenoil Based right in the backyard of Norfolk, Virginia where the legendary Navy Seals operate from, this band has dedicated itself to working with the Navy Seal Foundation by providing music for our troops who work for and with this amazing elite military group.

Then there are tons of groups who work with the USO performing for our troops. The USO performances are important because they support not only our troops overseas, but those serving away from home no matter where they are serving. Boston based band Lansdowne (featured in this issue) has even traveled all the way to Afghanistan to play live music for our troops.

There are even tours of live music such as the Tiger Cruise which is a cruise sponsored by the Navy where family members can see what those serving on board naval vessels do everyday. What cruise would be complete without music? Baltimoreʼs Kelly Bell Band has traveled all the way to San Diego just for the opportunity to entertain the troops and even wrote a special song entitled “Donʼt Go” while aboard the ship.

who rely on their music to get them through. Prospect Hill wrote an amazing tune called “A Patriots Anthem” which was received so well by troops that lead singer Adam Fithian has had soldiers give him their military ring, their coin and many other treasured possessions simply as a sign of gratitude. As we travel the world working for Mid-Atlantic Rock Reviews we view it as our own duty to try to honor the military as well. On a trip to Michigan a little more than a year ago we were approached by a group called Voice of Warriors. www.voiceofwarriors.com The group did a lot of things to spread awareness and support for our troops and truly understood the big roll that rock and roll can play in supporting our troops. When we asked what we could do to help, it became clear that as a media outlet, one of the best things we could do was to help spread the message.

The idea we had was to create a flag that bands

would hold up voicing their support of the troops and have their photo taken with it. We would send the pictures to the Voice of Warriors website so that soldiers everywhere would see the support from bands first hand. We carry our flag with us all the time and have been amazed by the many bands who have posed with it in support of our troops. Here are just a few of those band photos. You can see all of them on the MidAtlantic Rock Reviews Facebook Page under the photo album “Voice of Warriors”

However they choose to support them, we continue to be impressed by the unlimited outpouring of support for our troops from the rock and roll community. It is just one reason why we call our fans at Mid-Atlantic Rock Reviews “The MARR Rock Army”. Our salute goes out to all of you who serve or have served, and for all of you who send the support to those troops they so desperately need.

Other bands will write music for the troops that occasionally makes it aboard a ship or submarine. With a limited amount of music to be played during deployments on these vessels, bands whose music makes it on board often finds themselves with lifelong fans from soldiers and sailors

The idea we had was to create a flag that bands

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Black Dog Prowl 's

New

Stirring, Racy

(and Funny) Music Video "No Robots"

Black Dog Prowl premiered the music video for their newest single "No Robots" on May 16th. Check out why these smart, hard-working rockers have been touted as the next rock act to bust out, and please share it with your audience. Black Dog Prowl provide that buzz of real rock n' roll that is getting harder to find these days. What happens when three bandmates realize they are dating the same girl? Things may get messy. The video lays down humorous vignettes of an amorous plot. Go here to see the video and find out: http://youtu.be/2RQUBsyT_w0 "Black Dog Prowl are producing some incredible radio-friendly material

whilst still retaining a palpable Classic Rock attitude. Indulgent modern Rock with razor-sharp ambitions!" - Andy Woodcraft, Mojophenia.com

Recent Coverage: The Vinyl District: http://www.thevinyldistrict.com/storefront/2013/05/black-dog-prowl-the-tvd-first-date-and-video-premiere/ Mojophenia: http://mojophenia.com/2013/05/20/black-dog-prowl-oďŹ&#x192;cial-music-video-for-the-new-single-no-robots/ Talent In Borders: http://www.talentinborders.net/blog/dc-band-black-dog-prowl-release-new-music-video-for-single-no-robots Links: www.blackdogprowl.com, www.facebook.com/blackdogprowl, www.myspace.com/blackdogprowl, http://soundcloud.com/blackdogprowl

Black Dog Prowl 's

New

Stirring, Racy

(and Funny) Music Video "No Robots"

whilst still retaining a palpable Classic Rock attitude. Indulgent modern Rock with razor-sharp ambitions!" - Andy Woodcraft, Mojophenia.com

/ 9 , , > 0 6 , 8 (3,?

2=0,? 74A0 -,9/ stage or even have a tenth of the talent to do so, but I am a live music connoisseur who sees hundreds of live sets of music a year. So I humbly offer a few ideas I’d like to share with artists from a fan’s perspective that help make a band a “great” live band to me.

We travel all over the United States and beyond covering live rock and roll music and believe me we have seen our share of live bands that range from “incredible” to “let’s hurry up and beat the traffic. So what is it about a band that makes them a great “live” act? Now it goes without saying that having great songs to play is a pre-requisite. After all, a band that plays terrible music in the studio is quite likely to play terrible music live. However, the opposite is not always true. There are many bands that come to mind that we love to listen to on the Ipod who simply fall flat live. So what makes the difference? Now I am not a musician and don’t claim to understand everything it takes to be on

Give us your best no matter how many fans are in the crowd. One of the marks of a great live band is the ability to deliver the same showmanship, musicianship and entertainment to the crowd whether there are 20 fans, or 20,000 fans. Some bands that immediately come to mind who exemplify this ability are Pop Evil, Otherwise, Like A Storm. Play your set sober..or at least close to it. I don’t have a problem if a band has enjoyed a beverage or two before or during the show, but if fans have spent money to see the set, don’t get trashed before you perform or come out in such a state that we don’t get to see you “A” game. Make sure our set list matches your audience. There is always a debate as to whether bands should play the hits, or their new music. To me it depends on the situation. For example a classic rock band playing at a festival with multiple acts really should throw the crowd a nice representation of the hits. However, that same band playing in an intimate nightclub setting can proba-

bly rest assured that they have a crowd of fans Be genuine up there. Sometimes we will se a band play live several nights in a row or on the who will appreciate hearing the new tracks same tour more than once. I don’t mind it if a and some deeper cuts. joke is repeated or if there are things unique Unless you are a jazz fusion band or maybe to a band that are a part of their performance a 70’s progressive rock band, don’t give us a that are repeated because of tradition (for set full of 20 minute solos and instrumental example Angus Young of AC/DC doing his patinterludes. Filling a set with a 15 minute guiented spin on the floor). Fans want that. But tar solo, followed by a 10 minute drum solo don’t just say the same thing night after night almost always gets the crowd sitting down. Short solos that highlight those gifted in their even if it’s not true. For example we witnessed one well known national act three times out instrument can be cool, but keep them reaof three on the same tour say to their fans sonable in time. “We were told not to play over our time, but Don’t spit on me, throw your water on me or you guys are such a great crowd, we’re doing any other bodily fluids for that matter. Unless it anyway just for you”. I am at a Gallagher comedy show, I don’t likely have a tarp with me to cover myself and I sim- I offer these suggestions with the utmost ply don’t want it on me. If I spit on you, they’d humility and respect for the musicians who we love and admire. They are simply suggestions throw me out of the club, so return the favor that for me personally make a band more will you? enjoyable as a live act. They are not offered Hang around to meet you fans if you can. in the spirit of being a “know it all” but rather There is nothing more special for the diehard as constructive feedback from a guy who sees fan of a band than to have the chance to shake an awful lot of live music. I have the utmost hands and grab a quick picture with their farespect for all of you whether you are a garage vorite band. However, we recognize that this band, local act, regional talent or national is not always possible and don’t hold it against superstar. After all, if I didn’t admire you work, bands in all cases. We have been around the I wouldn’t travel the country watching the industry enough to know that sometimes hundreds of live shows that prompted me to there are reasons why the band simply cannot write this list in the first place. hang out that is beyond their control. Some Whether you agree with my list or not, get artists find that it is just not in their personalout there and support live rock and roll ity to do so. We get that, but still believe that music. There are great rock and roll music the concert experience is enhanced for the scenes all of over this country and frankly fans when bands connect with fans. around the world and no matter what town Move around up there and try not to stand we travel to, chances are there is some in one place. So many times I have been on great rock and roll talent there putting the far side either stage left or stage right on a live show. and watched as every solo in a song, crowd interaction and band member focuses only on the other side of the crowd. Spread the love around and try to remember to pay attention to both sides of the crowd.

/ 9 , , > 0 6 , 8 (3,?

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BIO/HIGHLIGHTS:

LINKS:

ROOTS: 2010 in Baltimore, Maryland: vocalist/guitarist Mike Jazz, bassist Sam Jazz and guitarist David Adari. Drummer Greg Barber joined the band in 2012.

â&#x20AC;˘ www.facebook.com/downtoeverything

SOUND: A unique hybrid of rock, metal, jazz, reggae, blues, & funk. Distinctive hard rock melodies with vocals that always emphasize on bringing listeners the â&#x20AC;&#x153;hookâ&#x20AC;?.

â&#x20AC;˘ www.youtube.com/downtoeverything

RECORDINGS: Two Eps and one full-length â&#x20AC;&#x153;radio-readyâ&#x20AC;? album titled Second Star To The Right.

â&#x20AC;˘ www.reverbnation.com/downtoeverything/ album/27970- second-star-to-the-right (direct link to stream new full-length album)

PERFORMANCES: DTE has shared the stage with Seether, Filter, Crossfade, Young Guns, Sick Puppies, Charm City Devils, KYNG, and Candlelight Red, to name a few. SIMILAR ARTISTS: 311, Foo Fighters, Avenged Sevenfold, Incubus, Metallica

â&#x20AC;˘ www.reverbnation.com/downtoeverything

â&#x20AC;˘ www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qaya7inMZUM (â&#x20AC;&#x153;Second Star To The Rightâ&#x20AC;? Sampler)

CONTACT INFO: Michael Jaskulsky â&#x20AC;˘ 3 Hurlingham Court â&#x20AC;˘ Baltimore, MD 21208 â&#x20AC;˘ (410) 456-7699 â&#x20AC;˘ dtebooking@gmail.com

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BIO/HIGHLIGHTS:

LINKS:

ROOTS: 2010 in Baltimore, Maryland: vocalist/guitarist Mike Jazz, bassist Sam Jazz and guitarist David Adari. Drummer Greg Barber joined the band in 2012.

â&#x20AC;˘ www.facebook.com/downtoeverything

SOUND: A unique hybrid of rock, metal, jazz, reggae, blues, & funk. Distinctive hard rock melodies with vocals that always emphasize on bringing listeners the â&#x20AC;&#x153;hookâ&#x20AC;?.

â&#x20AC;˘ www.youtube.com/downtoeverything

RECORDINGS: Two Eps and one full-length â&#x20AC;&#x153;radio-readyâ&#x20AC;? album titled Second Star To The Right.

â&#x20AC;˘ www.reverbnation.com/downtoeverything/ album/27970- second-star-to-the-right (direct link to stream new full-length album)

â&#x20AC;˘ www.reverbnation.com/downtoeverything

â&#x20AC;˘ www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qaya7inMZUM (â&#x20AC;&#x153;Second Star To The Rightâ&#x20AC;? Sampler)

CONTACT INFO: Michael Jaskulsky â&#x20AC;˘ 3 Hurlingham Court â&#x20AC;˘ Baltimore, MD 21208 â&#x20AC;˘ (410) 456-7699 â&#x20AC;˘ dtebooking@gmail.com

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For more information, check out the bandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s website: www.loveanddeathmusic.com Love & Death Facebook: www.facebook.com/LoveandDeathMusic Love & Death Twitter: www.twitter.com/lovedeathmusic /29( '($7+ ,6 $9$,/$%/( )25 ,17(59,(:6 )RU PRUH LQIRUPDWLRQ DQG LQWHUYLHZV SOHDVH FRQWDFW .HQQHWK 1L[RQ 1HZ 2FHDQ 0HGLD 3 Â&#x2021; ( NHQQHWK#QHZRFHDQPHGLD FRP

As can be seen and read on the internet, the last time Geoff Tate was touring with Queensryche for the Chaos tour it was pretty much a disgusting spectacle. There were behind the scene problems, there were on stage problems, there were problems with the audience. Spitting on your drummer, bad mouthing the audience, and other acts are just not what I would expect from a professional band like Queensryche… maybe the Sex Pistols in the 70’s.

9HNPUN -VY 6YKLY 0U ;OL *V\Y[ by David Schroeder Let me start by saying that I have been a huge Queensryche fan since they first released the legendary selftitled EP. It was fresh, it was stunning, it was dynamic, it was filled with great imagery, it was epic, and it was the beginning of one of the most influential metal bands of all time who blazed paths that many would imitate and follow. Geoff Tate (who left the band Myth, and join Queensryche) possessed operatic vocals match perfectly with Chris DeGarmo, Michael Wilton, Eddie Jackson, and Scott Rockenfield’s tight and powerful playing. The band reminded me of elements of Judas Priest, Iron Maiden, Deep Purple, Pink Floyd, and Dio all rolled into one unique sound that they made their own. As the years passed by the band released a slew of incredible albums, each on evolving from the previous one, pushing boundaries and trying new ideas, while still maintaining that Queensryche vibe that their growing fan base loved. “Operation Mindcrime” was the “Quadraphenia”, “Tommy” and “The Wall” of heavy metal. A great story, that would later be revisited and concluded many years later. “Empire” and “The Promised Land” saw the band at their pinnacle in terms of sales and creativity (although I’m still partial to Mindcrime being the cream of the crop). While bringing a more commercial sound lyrically, the band had massive success with the song ”Silent Lucidity”. The band seemed to lose their footing

with subsequent releases. “Hear in the Now Frontier” fell short of what fans had come to expect from this great band, and with Chris DeGarmo parting ways “Q2K” fell even further down the spiral. The band continued to struggle and while trying new things to create new sounds many of their fans lost interest in what they were doing. “Operation Mindcrime 2” reinvigorated some fans but never reached the heights of the first masterpiece. I thought it was a great conclusion to the story and it seemed to get the band refocused on what they did best. “Mindcrime at the Moore” put both pieces together in a stunning theatrical live show. A covers album was put out that was, well, let’s just say interesting. Tate’s vocals are so unique that it takes a few listens to accept his voice singing songs from Peter Gabriel, The Police, or U2. A few cover tracks are cringe worthy, while others are brilliant. I thought “American Soldier” was great idea and extremely well executed. I always thought the band worked better when they had a theme behind an album. It kept them focused and kept them away from too many attempts at radio friendly love songs. “Dedicated to the Chaos” became the only Queensryche album I refused to buy. The samples and songs I subjected myself to online gave me no reason to hand over my money for the travesty and I wouldn’t have even accepted a free copy… and I’m an insane completest collector. This was one hole in my collection I did not want to fill.

So what would happen next? Tate parts ways with rest of the band and instead of releasing another solo album like the couple he had released in the past when he wanted to create something outside of the band. Geoff feels he is Queensryche. Tate’s solo albums weren’t horrible by any means, but they weren’t Queensryche; however, the name Queensryche will guarantee the sale of many more units than another solo album, so I understand the reason for wanting to do that. The same thing happened with Tony Iommi years ago when he was working with Glen Hughes, although that was the record company’s decision, not Iommi’s. So we now have Geoff Tate’s Queensryche and we have Queensryche’s Queensryche, who enlisted the throat of Todd La Torre (previously known for briefly being in Crimson Glory). The La Torre fronted Queensryche was originally named Rising West and played a few gigs doing Queensryche tunes and then changed back to Queensryche, which was kind of a no-brainer. La Torre brought back the power and passion and camaraderie that had been missing from Queensryche for a long time. To me, two Queensryches were better than none, and I figured it would, at best, light a fire under everyone’s ass involved to come up with some of their best material ever to prove to the other camp, that they were the best. I looked forward to whatever music was going to come out.

Meanwhile, both sides were battling over who deserved to be called Queensryche, but until it gets to court and is decided upon by a judge, both sides were going to use the name. Geoff Tate, who is considered the voice of Queensryche, with an array of musicians to complete the band, was the first one strike with new material. “Frequency Unknown” with its blatant “F.U.” rings on a punching fist adorn the cover of the album, and harken back to the childish name calling days of Van Halen and David Lee Roth with the “OU812” album. Looking at the great list of musicians that help Tate create this album seems to be proof that it’s more of a solo project with friends coming in and out of the studio to get the job done. Brad Gillis, Rudy Sarzo, Kelly Gray, Dave Meniketti, Simon Wright, K. K. Downing, Paul Bostaph, Ty Tabor, Chris Poland, and more all lend their talents. Great list of names, but is this really band or just a great singer wanting to use a name he helped define? The first song I remember hearing from “F.U.” was ‘Cold’ and I was pleasantly surprised. Not blown away, but I was just glad the song gave me a reason to keep looking forward to the entire album coming out. ‘Cold’ reminded me of something from “Promised Land”. A bit of a radio friendly edge; but, with the emotion and rock sense, that had definitely been missing from “Chaos”. The album was rushed to release, I presume to beat the other Queensryche to the market. Interestingly enough, a different mix of the entire album is offered up to those who want it, by sending a copy of your receipt to the record company. I did this and I was glad that I did; because, the mix that is on the store bought cd is dull and lacks the dynamic sound that the remixed version that I quickly received contains. With a band of Queensryche’s quality it just makes no sense to me to put something on the market that isn’t up to standard

with the proper mix and soundâ&#x20AC;Ś anybody remember the drum sound on â&#x20AC;&#x153;ST ANGER?!? My review is based on the remixed copy, and not the original release which would have made my comments a lot less flattering. The album as whole is alright; however, thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not really anything that pushes it over the edge. Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not saying there arenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t some good songs on it, because there definitely are, just nothing that makes me want to listen to it over and over again like some of the great Queensryche albums from the glory days. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Slaveâ&#x20AC;? is a pretty cool tune with a good driving riff and groove. â&#x20AC;&#x153;In the Hands of Godâ&#x20AC;? is one of the more creative songs and reminds me the â&#x20AC;&#x153;Rage for Orderâ&#x20AC;? era where Geoff really delivers with his vocal range and voices come from all angles. The last new song on the album â&#x20AC;&#x153;Weight of the Worldâ&#x20AC;? has a heavy emotional feel and is a very compelling track that draws you in. You feel the emptiness of the lyrics and then heaviness of what it all means. Brilliantly done! Many of the tracks fall short for me and while there is some great playing, lyrically it tends to be too cheesy and sappy for me. After 10 new songs the album closes with covers of four classic Queensryche songs. I guess this is to show the new band can handle the tunes that Queensryche became famous for. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t Believe in Loveâ&#x20AC;?, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Empireâ&#x20AC;?, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Jet City Womanâ&#x20AC;? and â&#x20AC;&#x153;Silent Lucidityâ&#x20AC;? get a new treatment but donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t match the magic of the originals. They sound more like something that youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d hear on a tribute album. A couple months later the other Queensryche released a self-titled album, which became very confusing when ordering online. Amazon, and other online stores, had this new release mixed up with the remastered version of the self-titled ep, making pre-ordering the correct disc a bit tricky for a while. I was glad they didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t go the childish route and title the album in a way to take a stab at Tate, like â&#x20AC;&#x153;F.U.2.â&#x20AC;? It seems this band was above name calling, and just wanted to let the music speak for itself, but giving an actual title to the album would have made more sense to me. The first song from the album I heard online was â&#x20AC;&#x153;Where Dreams Go to Dieâ&#x20AC;? and it definitely had me more excited for their album than â&#x20AC;&#x153;Coldâ&#x20AC;? did for â&#x20AC;&#x153;F.U.â&#x20AC;?. So many people were saying that Tate could be the only singer for Queensryche; but, I think Todd LaTorre changed a lot of peopleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s minds once they heard this album. With a cool little instrumental track titled â&#x20AC;&#x153;X2â&#x20AC;? you get sucked into the album, similar to what they did many years ago on â&#x20AC;&#x153;Promised Landâ&#x20AC;? with the opener â&#x20AC;&#x153;9:28 amâ&#x20AC;?, and when â&#x20AC;&#x153;Where Dreams Go to Dieâ&#x20AC;?. Everything about this song makes you remember what Queensryche is all

about. Killer riffs, great leads, badass bottom end, and lyrics and powerful meaningful vocals. The band found a perfect replacement for Tate in LaTorre, who sounds so much like Tate from the early years you might forget itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s him. A quick look at the credits for the songs lets you know this is an album written by a band with everyone contributing. They took their time to create one hell of a great album, and â&#x20AC;&#x153;Jimboâ&#x20AC;? Bartonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s production work is spot on leaving no need for a second mix of these tracks. Driving, heavy riffs, and grooves can be heard on tracks like â&#x20AC;&#x153;Sporeâ&#x20AC;?, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Redemptionâ&#x20AC;?, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Vindicationâ&#x20AC;? and â&#x20AC;&#x153;Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t Look Backâ&#x20AC;?. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Midnight Lullabyâ&#x20AC;? is a strange little psycho instrumental piece that leads into â&#x20AC;&#x153;A World Withoutâ&#x20AC;? which reminds me of Tateâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s â&#x20AC;&#x153;Weight of the Worldâ&#x20AC;? with its twisted slower emotional vibe and lyrics. Voices float around the speakers like youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re inside someoneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s schizophrenic head. The new studio tracks end with â&#x20AC;&#x153;Open Roadâ&#x20AC;? which gives you the feel of a heavier â&#x20AC;&#x153;Anybody Listeningâ&#x20AC;? from the classic â&#x20AC;&#x153;Empireâ&#x20AC;?. Similar to Tateâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Queensryche this album finishes with some bonus older Queensryche songs; but, unlike rehashing the tracks in the studio these are live blistering recordings that give your ears an idea of just how awesome thins line up is in concert. They totally kill it on â&#x20AC;&#x153;Queen of the Reichâ&#x20AC;?, â&#x20AC;&#x153;En Forceâ&#x20AC;?, and â&#x20AC;&#x153;Prophecyâ&#x20AC;?; and, while I would really rather hear three more newly recorded songs (because everything on this album is epic) there is certainly no reason to turn these off before you have been annihilated. So, as both sides await a verdict as to who deserves the Queensryche name, Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m reminded of what happened when Roger Waters left Pink Floyd and thought the majority of the band shouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be able to carry on with the group name that made them all famous; and, I for one would vote for the same outcome in this case also.

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