HRH Mag Issue XX - May 2023

SAMANTHA FISH & JESSE DAYTON

Editorial

Welcome to volume XX The Team

Chief Editor Adam Kennedy adam@hrhmediahub.com

Designer Charlotte Hooper

Contributing Writers: Russell Peake, Viki Ridley, Adam Kennedy, Paul Davies, Charlotte Hooper, Dennis Jarman, Peter Ray Allison, Neil ‘Not’ Coggins, Simon ‘Spindles’ Potthast, Diane Davies, Victoria Llewelyn

Contributing Photographers: Adam Kennedy, Simon Dunkerley, Eric Duvet, All Others Credited.

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Charlotte Hooper charl@hrhmediahub.com

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As always, a huge thank you to ALL the hardworking bands, photographers and writers that have contributed to this issue. It’s very much appreciated by us all.

CONTENTS

04 Samantha Fish & Jesse Dayton

08 Viki’s Gates of Hell

- 08. Adam and The Metal Hawks

- 09. Lighwave

- 10. The Hot One Two

- 12. Tom Kilner

- 13. The Pearl Harts

- 14. Rebel Kings

16 Cherie Currie

18 Burning Witches

20 Cradle of Filth

44 Burnt Out Wreck

46 Madam X

48 Syteria

50 Devildriver

52 HRH Blues VII Photo Gallery

56 Zachary Kibbee

58 Live Reviews

- 58. Beth Har t

- 60. Nocturnal

- 62. Bullet for My Valentine

- 64. Ted Poley

- 66. Massive Wagons

70 Hearts and Souls

74 Album Reviews

Ratt | Alcatrazz | Buckcherry | Winger | Burning Witches | Art Nation | Neal Schon | The Defiance | Enforcer | The Dust Coda | Black Roze | Elegant Weapons | Cradle of Filth | Thunder | Revolution Saints | Allan Jones | Atreyu | Sweet & Lynch | LA Guns | Deathstars | Samantha Fish & Jesse Dayton | Robert Jon and The Wreck

84 HRH Prog XIII Photo Gallery

86 Dark Circle Profile: Rachel Tomlinson

SAMANTHA FISH & JESSE DAYTON

Dynamic blues force Samantha Fish and country outlaw Jesse Dayton are getting ready to release their upcoming album, Death Wish Blues, out May 19th on Rounder Records.

Produced by Jon Spencer the pair’s latest offering showcases the raw power of Fish and Dayton’s guitar playing, both with foundations grounded in blues music.

So far 2023 has been busy for the dynamic duo. “Jesse and I finished out the last year with some dates together on the West Coast, and on the East Coast. And then we did our own bands. I just did a tour with my band in the States. And then we went to Australia. We are getting ready to head to Europe and do some dates there. So, I’m ready to hit the ground running,” says Sam.

Jesse adds: “I just got off this thing called the Outlaw Cruise with Steve Earle and a bunch of those people. I sat in with a bunch of friends on the boat. I sat in with The Mavericks.” With such hectic touring schedules for the duo, it’s remarkable that they were able to work together at all. “Sam was in Australia the whole time,” says Jesse. “Our schedules are just crazy. It’s amazing that we wrote songs and recorded a record.”

But how did the pair come together to record this body of work? “Jesse, and I started talking about doing this last year, around the beginning of the year,” said Sam. “We reconnected and I saw

him in New Orleans play a show. There had been some chatter swirling about a collaborative project that I’ve been wanting to do. And when I saw Jesse, it hit me that if he was into it, I think we’d be perfect doing this together.”

“Everything has been, looking back on it more organic than you think,” says Jesse. “We went to a dude’s backyard studio in New Orleans and played some covers. Sam came out and saw me play at this bar, and we hung out afterwards. It’s all kind of happened real organically without anything feeling too forced.”

In terms of the sound and musical direction on the album, Jesse says: “A lot of it had to do with Jon Spencer. He came in and stripped us away of all those things that are the same kind of things that had been going on in the blues genre for a while.” He adds: “Sonically this record is very different. It has kind of a punk energy to it. A kind of raw, everybody in the studio thing. So, I was equally excited about doing this record with Jon in New York. Because it was like wow, that’s different. Let’s try to change this thing up a little bit.”

Death Wish Blues follows off the back of the Stardust Sessions EP. Although at the time of recording the EP, the pair hadn’t contemplated making an album together. “We were totally dipping our toe in the water. I don’t think we’d even written any songs. It was nice to be able to do those covers and give ourselves a foundation. Like, let us go be a Garage-

Band for a little bit before you throw us to the wolves. It was fun,” says Jesse. “I remember when Samantha suggested the Townes Van Zandt song, which might be one of her standard songs, but in the circles of Townes, it’s not one of the first go-to ones. And when she said that I thought me and this chick are going to hit it off just fine.”

The first single to be released from the album is titled Deathwish “That was one of the first songs. When we were writing together in New Orleans, I remember I had that melody in my head, that little top hook, and I just played it for him. I said what do you think about this over these changes?” explains Sam. “He went home and he wrote the coolest story surrounding it and sent it to me and we just started building off of that. It’s definitely about a relationship between a man and a woman.”

“I had been watching all these films noir movies. The late 40s, and early 50s, film noir black and white crime movies. I was nerding out on all that stuff during COVID because we we’re all stuck in the house,” says Jesse. “The thing I really love about all the female artists that I listened to, no matter who it is - The Runaways or Joni Mitchell or whoever it is. They have a certain empowerment, and so that’s kind of what the lyrics of that song are about. Just some predator guy, getting the whole script flipped on him, by this girl who’s seen and done it all. And I knew that Sam, she’s got all

that character, and she could sell that idea in her sleep.”

Samantha Fish and Jesse Dayton will be embarking on a UK tour together later this year. “We both love the UK. And a lot of that music informed this record or informed these performances,” says Jesse. “I’m a total nerd for all that music that came out of the British invasion. I’m a diehard Stones, number one fan, and I love The Clash. And I love all the Britpop stuff. There’s just so much stuff there that I think when we get up on stage, they’re going to be special shows because we’re going to know that we’re in a place that’s kind of sacred to us.” In terms of how the show will work.

Samantha said that: “We have 12 songs on a brand-new album that’s coming out. I’m excited about every single song. And then we have three songs from an EP. And then we also put together a show, because we started playing live shows back in December. And so, we put together a show with some of our original material. And some cool covers that we handpicked that we thought would fit the vibe and the parameters of what we’re doing. But really this is an intentionally collaborative experience.”

Samantha concludes: “We set out to do these songs together and I’m excited about reimagining this album that we just created for the live stage and finding

a way to perform all these songs and tell the story because I mean, that’s the story. We were in this studio and made this cool piece of art. So, I think the focus is definitely going to be there. But we’ll throw in some of our original material here and there. We’ve got a lot of time to fill up there. So, we’ll be doing a little bit of everything, but a lot of what we did together.”Samantha Fish and Jesse Dayton’s album “Death Wish Blues” is released by Rounder Records on May 19th. Samantha and Jesse tour the UK October 19-28th. Pre-order the album and book tickets at www.samanthafish.com.

Words: Adam Kennedy

Photo Credit: Daniel Sanda

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GATES OF HELL Vikis

ADAM & THE METAL HAWKS

Who are you Adam Ezegelian. We are Adam and the Metal Hawks.

Roll Call

Adam Ezegelian (Lead Vocals), Johnny Barry (Guitars), Ryan Daversa (Bass), Griffin Mccarthy (Drums)

Hailing from?

New York

Journey so far?

AMH started in 2019 and released their first album in 2020, just days before the world shut down! We took our music and our antics to TikTok and Instagram to

bring our music to a new audience and just make people smile for a minute or two. Gaining over 5 million followers on all social media platforms, our journey takes us to European Music Festivals and making content for the entire globe!

Influences/sound?

Our biggest influences are Van Halen, Aerosmith, and Queen - but we are influenced by all the classic rock bands of the 70s and 80s! We want to bring that sound back to a new generation!

Biggest gig/proudest moment to date?

Our biggest gig was in Switzerland, at a music festival Riverside Open Air with a

crowd of over 20,000 people all cheering and rocking out to our original music! Best gig we have ever played! Most proud moment would have to be when the legendary Jack Black duetted our video online and we got acknowledged by one of our hero’s!

What does the future hold for Adam and The Metal Hawks?

AMH is just getting started! We have a new album coming this summer filled with rockin tunes, and we will be supporting it with plenty of festivals all around the world and our first UK tour this October!

Photo Credit: Press Supplied

LIGHTWAVE

Who are you...

Lightwave

Roll Call....

Samantha Bower (vocals) / Johnny Halpin (guitar) / Matt Thomason (bass) / Talvin

Rihal (drums)

Hailing from....

South Coast, UK

Journey so far....

We’ve only been a band for just over a year, but it’s been a wild ride so far! We’ve played some awesome shows and some festivals too, and also released a debut EP

and a new single.

Influences, sound....

Our influences range from pop to metal to punk rock to synthwave. Honestly, it’s hard to pin our sound down haha.

Biggest gig/Proudest moment...

Our best show was probably our debut hometown show in Bournemouth playing to about 500 people, that was insane! Also having our debut EP sold in Japan by a music store was pretty surreal.

What does the future hold for Lightwave

We just released a brand new single “Good

Enough”, with more new music to come soon. We are also playing Teddy Rocks Festival and some northern dates with more shows to be announced soon, so stay connected and come party with us!

Photo Credit: Press Supplied

THE HOT ONE TWO

Who are you?

We are The Hot One Two; a five-piece, hard rock band with an agenda to breathe new life and originality into the world of rock, whilst also paying homage and drawing inspiration from “the greats”. We’ll be tearing up a few stages with some frantic and raucous live shows along the way, with an energy that hopefully translates as well on record as it does on stage!

We’re proud to say we’ve already amassed a loyal and loving fanbase, and are passionate about adding to the group (the aptly named “Hot One Crew”). We want to introduce new members to build a real sense of community, spread the good word of the band, and our rocking overlords.

Roll Call

Simon West – Frontman / Vocals

“I have always enjoyed playing and listening to music from a very young age. My parents and sister were always a huge part of getting me into music, ultimately encouraging me to learn and pursue a career in music.

My influences range from Queen to Meat Loaf and everything in between. Watching frontmen like Freddie, not only singing

well but performing to the crowd and understanding that it is all part of the show, has been huge in developing all the details that go into one of our shows.

Playing live music with your friends, to fans and random strangers all singing along will never get old and is honestly the greatest feeling.

I am tremendously proud of everything this band has achieved to date, especially our debut album, and I cannot wait to share it with the world.”

Nick Blackburn – Bass / Backing Vocals

“I love performing and always have, ever since playing my first gig at the tender age of 13 at my secondary school annual rock show! There’s nothing more exciting than driving around the country with your best mates, playing the music you love and having a few beers and a few laughs along the way! That being said, what really gets me going is creating, I love writing music and I love seeing a song evolve from an idea into a piece of art. I’ve never tried to write music to fill a brief and always written the music I want to write, and to take our music on the road, to see people digging it and singing along really is one of the best feelings anyone can have!”

Nick Manners – Lead Guitar / Backing Vocals

“Righto! Manners here, there’s two Nick’s in the band so I go by my surname. I was a bit of a bedroom guitarist growing up to be honest with you and didn’t really start thinking I wanted to be in a band until I graduated from The Academy of Contemporary Music in Guildford, alongside Nick & Joe. We started playing in a function band for a few years and then Nick turned around one evening and said, “I’ve written a few songs, ‘do ya wanna listen?”. We never really looked back after that.

I grew up with Rock n Roll on the radio. An annual trip to see the mighty Quo with my dad brings back fond memories. One of the first albums I bought was The Darkness’ ‘Permission to Land’. I also remember hearing the word slash attributed to someone. I must have been about 10, I remember thinking there’s no way that’s someone’s name, that’s ridiculous. A couple of years later it clicked…He’s a real guy, and he F***ING SHREDS! He’s been one of my guitar idols ever since really.

I’ve been on The Hot One Two train since it set off and we’ve come so far. We’ve built a great chemistry in the band and have

an even better team supporting us. I can’t wait to chuck the kitchen sink at it and give it everything we’ve got.

Kev Baker – Rhythm Guitar / Backing Vocals

“I’m a bit of a loon to be honest and have been known to pull the odd face or two when we play live. Truth be told, I can’t help it, I see that people in the crowd enjoy what we do and completely lose myself in the moment. For me, playing live has never been about looking cool, because I don’t particularly think I am cool, its more about creating energy for the crowd to feed off and for them to leave feeling like they’ve had their money’s worth.”

Joe Chivers – Drums

Nick B and I grew up in the same little village in Cambridge and both started playing our respective instruments at the same time. We grew up learning our instruments together (which massively helps with our musical chemistry!) and I was on that very same stage at the age of 12 alongside him – the rest, as they say, is history!

I’ve been with the band from day one and to echo Simon’s point, couldn’t be prouder of where we’re currently at in our journey, particularly with the album release looming and all the effort that’s gone into it – the end product has been totally worth it and wish we could share it with you all sooner!

Hailing From?

As a collective we say we’re from Cambridge. Most of us do live in Cambridge but some of us live in small villages on the outskirts. It’s easier for us to just collectively say we’re from the Cambridgeshire area.

Journey So Far

Well, we go back nearly 10 years believe it or not! Grab a cuppa and sit down as we’re about to take you through the history of the band year on year.

2014 - Nick Blackburn (Bibble), Nick Manners (Manners) and Joe Chivers (Joe) were fresh faced & blurry eyed with music degrees in hand after 3 years of higher education studying at The Academy of Contemporary Music (ACM). The three started working in a function band playing weddings, parties & bar mitzvahs up and down the country.

2016 - The Hot One Two formed. The lineup was different to what you see now but Bibble, Manners and Joe were sick of playing ‘Valerie’ and ‘Superstition’ so started writing some rock music.

2017 - The band found some success in early 2017. Winning awards at a local Band Competition and playing at The

Cambridge Rock Festival. We also opened for local rock heroes Hollowstar, who have recently become a firm favorite on the scene.

2017 – We released our first EP ‘Come Whatever May’, in September of 2017, recorded at Crooks Hall Studio with producer John Metcalfe.

2018 - After a turbulent year of lineup changes, Bibble, Manners & Joe sought the vocal talents of Simon West. Having had a conversation way back in 2016 about joining the band, this time around Simon was able to take the reins as lead singer for The Hot One Two. With a background of function work, an education in sound and a love of Freddie Mercury it was clear he was the man for the job.

2019 - The band started pushing for more shows and a busier year. Being able to perform further afield saw support slots for SKAM, Dead Mans Whisky, and Scarlet Rebels to name a few. We re-released ‘Come Whatever May’ with Simon’s new vocals, meanwhile we saw a growing home fanbase and the release of our Christmas single ‘Pints of Cheer’ - Yes, we have a Christmas song!

2020 – What a year for the world! Before the pandemic hit, we played our first show outside of the UK! 24 hours in Copenhagen at Vesterbro Rock Festival supplied us with enough stories for the rest of the year! 2020 also saw the band sign our first contract with Iron Road Talent Management joining Wolf Jaw amongst others on the roster.

During the pandemic we saw a lot of bands fall off the radar as they felt that they couldn’t do anything if they were unable to perform live. We took this opportunity and grabbed it with both hands, to write our debut album over Zoom calls with each other. Granted, this isn’t the usual way we like to do things, but writing during lockdown brought us time, which we used to seriously think about the songs we were writing. We like to think the tracks are well thought out in terms of their structure and are not just your standard ‘Verse, Bridge, Chorus’ type arrangements which can come across as being quite ‘samey’. After taking some advice from our management, the decision was made to delay the release of our album to grow our fan base nationally on the live circuit.

2021 - We have always been a five-piece band however the second guitar had been somewhat of a revolving door for us, that is until a Kev Baker sized door wedge came along and slotted in as the last piece of the puzzle. Bringing a wealth of experience from playing in numerous bands, a passion for live shows and a steady, business minded head, Kev lit a fire under The

Hot One Two that’s still burning pretty f***** hot!

2022 - Saw us release our second EP -’Unrestrained’ coupled with the single ‘Bleed On Me’, which was well received. We had parted ways with our manager, but it didn’t take us long to find a new guiding hand whose vision aligned with our own. Following a gig at Sharkfest in Cannock we signed to Tower Rok Band Management, and we are really delighted with how the first year has gone. Greg Dean has many years’ experience in the music industry and has provided sound advice and a clear strategy for the band that we are all pleased with. He also digs the music – which helps! With our album now mixed and mastered, we got filming our music videos and were privileged to work with the fantastic Kris Barras in a director capacity. We have shot two music videos which Kris directed and are excited to release the accompanying singles. 2023 – Although we’re only into the first quarter of the year, we have had an amazing start to our album release campaign. Our first single ‘The Fray’ was picked up by Planet Rock Radio as their single of the week which blew our minds! With so many releases planned, and extensive touring secured across the UK, including some fantastic festivals, we’re super excited for what the year ahead will bring for us.

Influences / Sound

Now there’s a question! We all have similar influences, the mix across the band are Queen, The Darkness, Alter Bridge, Guns n Roses, AC/DC, Pantera, The Wildhearts. anything guitar and harmony driven really! In terms of our sound, we’re a solid hard rock band with a classic rock edge.

Biggest Gig / Proudest Moment to date

We’ve had a few to be honest! Sharing stages with bands like Those Damn Crows and Florence Black, working closely with Kris Barras on our videos, being playlisted on Planet Rock and of course we’re pumped to be playing Hard Rock Hell Sleaze and Hard Rock Hell 16 later this year!

What does the future hold?

A lot of hard work and grafting to keep up the momentum we have currently. We’re excited that our debut album is being released in November and are hopeful that the number of live shows we have booked in for this year will help to raise our profile in preparation for the launch. We’re already booking live shows well into 2024 so things at this stage are looking very positive. We’re all committed to pushing the band as far as we can take it and hope that we can continue to build our fanbase so that we can go on this journey together.

Photo Credit: Press Supplied

TOM KILNER

Who are you?

I’m Tom Killner and I’m a Singer/Guitarist/ Songwriter. Americana Southern Rock artist.

Hailing from?

I come from a town just outside of Sheffield in deep South Yorkshire, called Rotherham. No one knows where that is so generally, we just say Sheffield.

Journey so far?

I’ve been playing live since before I left school back in 2012, I knew this is what I wanted to do when I first picked up an electric guitar, signing my first record deal when I was 19 with Cleopatra records in L.A I released two albums with them, then releasing my second studio album independently. And in-between all that doing shows across the UK and into Europe. I’ve had the pleasure of sharing stages and playing venues that some of my influences and heroes have played. When the pandemic hit it seemed like everything kind of just ground to a dead stop the

week before we were playing a festival to a couple of thousand people then bam! So, I chucked myself into writing the 3rd studio album and before I knew it, we had about 20 songs to pick from. The plan was originally to have a stripped back more intimate singer songwriter feel to it but it’s since turned into a full band project.

Influences/sound?

Soulfully infused Blues, Southern Rock, Country, and Americana. There are so many influences from all over the place it’s hard to pin down. But I would say that no #1 influence would be Rory Gallagher, my dad and me always had the album ‘Calling Card’ on in the car blasting out, I think that’s what spiked my interest in wanting to pick up the guitar. My other influences would be The Allman Brothers, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Warren Haynes, Jason Isbell, Blackberry Smoke, Taj Mahal, Lukas Nelson, Waylon Jennings and JJ Cale. There’s so many I could probably fill the page! But having grown up listening to Blues and rock that’s definitely still all in there as

influence and the last few years I’ve dove deep into country and more singer songwriter genres and that’s had an impact on my writing.

Biggest gig/proudest moment to date?

I think one would be when I did my first European show over in Belgium for a Festival and I got to play with some of Rory Gallagher’s band members, that’s one that will stick with me. The Debut album Get to number 1 on the Blues Rock chart. There’s a load more moments where I think ‘man! I’m so lucky to be able to do this’.

What does the future hold for you Tom Killner?

I’m looking forward to finally recording the new album which will hopefully be out this year. I can’t wait to get out on the road for the dates we have lined up June is shaping up to be a nice run of shows around the UK and then later in the year touring Spain which is going to be real fun.

Photo Credit: Adam Kennedy

THE PEARL HARTS

Who are you?

The Pearl Harts

Roll Call?

Kirsty - Guitar and lead vocals

Sara - Drums and backing vocals

Hailing from?

South East London by way of Stonehenge and Scarborough

Journey so far?

We met after playing together in different projects in London and had the idea to make rock n ‘roll through the use of a loop pedal, we liked the idea of big riffs and big drums. We had a close bond so staying together as a duo felt quite natural!

After releasing 2 singles our live show gained some attention and we soon found ourselves opening for the likes of Garbage

and Skunk Anansie. We followed on by independently releasing our debut record Glitter and Spit and touring through the UK, Europe and in the US - it’s been quite an adventure and pretty chaotic at times!

We have a pretty powerful live show and songs which hopefully empower the listener. Like most bands the pandemic put a halt to our progress, so we are excited to get out and start touring our new record.

Influences/sound?

We play rock n roll with a modern edgeWe love punk trebly guitars and deep riffs big drums and big chorus’s - we’re fans of Tony Iommi, Cozy Powell, The Stooges, Bikini Kill, The Kills, the riot girl movement, Peaches, Jack White.

Biggest gig/proudest moment to date?

There have been several - but our first sell

out show in London when we released our debut record was pretty special.

We’re really proud of our new record - we have co-produced it ourselves and with the help of a producer and musician called Danio. It’s 12 songs that are simultaneously a love letter and a goodbye to chaos. It’s about acknowledging and saying goodbye to unhealthy patterns - how chaos can be a sign to change, how it can feel uncomfortable yet exhilarating.

What does the future hold for you?

We are about to release our 2nd record Love, Chaos on April 21st and will be touring it throughout May 2023.

Photo

REBEL KINGS

Who are you...

Rebel Kings are a melodic rock band from the North West of England. The band was formed when drummer James Ross (who first came into the public eye as the drummer on DARE’s debut album ‘Out of the Silence’) answered a message from his old friend and former band mate Gaz King who was searching on Facebook for any friends who could help out to record a couple of songs he’d written.

James having previously worked with Gaz and was impressed with his ability as a songwriter, vocalist and front person live jumped at the chance and hence was the beginning of Rebel Kings.

Gaz King by this point had such a large collection of songs already crafted and so the 2 songs turned into 11 carefully chosen songs for an album project. Gaz and James recruited Ian Schofield on Keyboards, Bill Thomas on Bass and the guitar duties were given to Lee Pickett. 3 studios and several months later the album Enchantress was born. It’s an eclectic mix of Rock songs which keep the listener

entertained and intrigued throughout thrusting Gaz with addition 2 tracks of Ian into the spotlight.

Unfortunately, Lee Pickett wasn’t able to stay due to ongoing commitments, so guitarist Nick Kariotis now completes the line-up.

Roll Call....

Gaz King - Vocals

James Ross - Drums

Nick Kariotis - Guitars

Ian Schofield - Keys

Bill Thomas - Bass

Hailing from....

Rebel Kings hail from mainly the North west of England, Gaz comes from St Helens, James from Chorley, Bill and Ian from Liverpool were as Nick originally hails from Greece but now lives in Liverpool.

Journey so far....

Although the band formed 4 years ago, due to lock down and personnel changes the Rebel Kings Enchantress debut album has finally been released. The band are in rehearsals and live dates will be an-

nounced shortly via Rebel Kings Facebook page.

Influences, sound....

Enchantress has an eclectic mix of influences mainly the classic melodic rock bands of the 80 with flavours including Asia, Bon Jovi, Dare, Magnum and Ten.

Biggest gig/Proudest

moment...

Our biggest Rebel Kings gig remains for the near future. James has toured extensively supporting Europe with his time in Dare. Gaz has recently worked as a vocalist with Anthems of Rock theatre show which continues to tour later this year, both which feature highly amongst our proud moments however, our proudest has to be the making and release of Enchantress.

What does the future hold for Rebel Kings....

Live shows, soon to be announced, to promote Enchantress feature highly for the future and new material for a second album is already flowing from the pen.

Photo Credit: Press Supplied

Rock legend Cherie Currie recently returned to the UK for an intimate run of dates across the country. The shows allowed the artist’s loyal fans to hear classic cuts from Cherrie’s repertoire along with tracks from her latest album Blvds of Splendour.

Having been touring since a young age, the artist relished touring the UK again at this point in her career. “When I was in The Runaways, I was so young, I was just 16 about to turn 17,” she says. “I was so homesick. Now that I’m 63 and not a child, I’m enjoying it so much. It’s so beautiful. And the people are so nice.”

Cherie’s latest album took a long time to get across the line. “It’s been on the shelf for a decade and it’s such a great record. And it’s Joan Jett’s record label and Kenny Laguna, her manager. What the hell? Why would they do that? And so still I’m waiting to find out why they would take such an extraordinary record and do that,” explains Cherie. “I opened for Joan Jett at Pacific Amphitheatre to enormous success, and I never worked again. They just stopped booking me. Let me sit for two years. And let this album sit for ten.”

Cherie adds: “I’m just in awe. Why did they do that? Because, at that time, I was 50, now I’m 63. Now one year, for a gal my age is like five years. So, I’m just glad now that Ingram Music, Steve Harkins, who is the president is releasing it worldwide in April. God bless him. He’s an angel. Because honestly, after that experience with people whom I thought were family, I didn’t want to be in this business anymore. When you get screwed by people that you consider your family, you don’t want to do it anymore. But here we are. And thanks to Steve, and Ingram Music, I’m going to be able to tour the US and support this amazing record.”

The record features a whole raft of esteemed guests. “It’s got, Slash and Duff. Billy Corgan from Smashing Pumpkins is on it. Brody Dalle. The Veronica’s and even Juliette Lewis. Matt Sorum produced it and did an amazing job. It wasn’t just me that was let down when this album was shelved for no reasoneverybody suffered,” confirms Cherie.

Of course, Cherie’s live show features several Runaways tracks in the setlist. But does the artist still enjoy performing the songs of her former group after all this time? “Yeah, it’s my heritage. It’s my

legacy,” she says. “I enjoy it as much as the audience loves hearing it. To me, The Runaways were substantial. And I’m very proud of what we did, short of 50 years ago.”

The Runaways were the subject of a Hollywood movie back in 2010 starring Kristen Stewart and Dakota Fanning. Speaking about the film, the artist said: “I wish the script would have delved deeper. I wish they would have used more of my book and have been a little more accurate,” she says. “I mean, the story itself, and what’s in my book; the movie is based on the book was so much more interesting. But Floria’s [Sigismondi] great cinematography brought the Seventies to life.”

When you think about The Runaways, the track Cherry Bomb immediately springs to mind. “I wrote the melody to that. I don’t have credit for that. Which I think it’s about time I go after. Because nobody sang the song but me. Kim Fowley kind of yelled the words to me and I had to come up with something. And yeah, they wrote it right on the spot. He called Joan over.” explains Cherie. “I took care of Kim towards the end of his life; I moved him into my house, he was dying of cancer. And I know how this guy writes. The thing is, you were lucky if he brought you in because he wrote the songs. But, as far as the melody, yes, I came up with that.”

Glam rock legends such as David Bowie and Suzi Quattro were major influences for The Runaways. “I kind of imitated David Bowie because we didn’t know who the hell we were, we were thrown on stage. Joan, imitated Suzy because that was the only way, we had no idea who we were. So eventually, we found out as we went along, who we were.”

The Runaways became a huge hit in Japan. Whilst touring the country the group experienced Beatlemania-style fandom. “Going to Japan, when we stepped off the plane it was just like a sea of people and guards. And people ripping our hair out, literally, and running for our lives. And we realised that we had made an impact,” confirms Cherie. “It was Japan that showed us that. I love Japan, and I cried when we had to leave. It was just the most wonderful people. I hope to return one day.”

Besides music, Cherie Currie is also a wood carving artist, using a chainsaw to create her works. But how did the

rock legend discover this skill? “I just happened to be passing by some guy’s chainsaw carving at the side of the road and didn’t stop. But this voice kept telling me I had to go back. And it was like, why would I go back? But finally, after two weeks of harassment, because that voice will harass you. I walked in, I went over there, and I walked into this gallery and saw these beautiful mermaids, dolphins and tikis and this voice said, you can do this as plain as you and I speaking. And I was like, Okay, I listened to that voice. And thank God, because it’s because of that voice that I have my home. Because I started competing finally in 2005, winning ribbons and I’m good at it. But never in my wildest dreams did I ever aspire to be something like that. But chainsaw is pretty rock and roll, I guess.” Presently Cherie is focused on promoting her latest album. “The record comes out worldwide in April,” she says. “I will do whatever I need to do to give this record what it deserves. And to give Ingram Music and Steve Harkins what he deserves.” Cherie concludes: “It’s what I dreamed of since I left The Runaways and it’s here. So, I’m going to do what I can to try to make that a little bit of success.”

Words & Photo Credit: Adam Kennedy

Burning Witches unleash a searing attack once more with their fifth studio album and Napalm Records debut, The Dark Tower, out May 5, 2023. Fasten your broom’s seatbelt for this wild and fiery ride!

With their latest offering Burning Witches wanted to take their subject matter in a much darker direction. “We were looking into a theme that could fit this. So, we came up with Countess Bathory and The Dark Tower is basically our version of the story. It is the place where she gets locked up because she turned out to be the first recorded serial killer in history. There are so many stories around it,” explains lead vocalist Laura Guldemond.

The macabre world of Countess Bathory proved to be a huge source of inspiration for Burning Witches. “She would take young servants, mostly girls that would just be in this castle to help her run

the castle. If they would do something wrong, she would torture them. It was basically her hobby,” explains Laura. “According to some stories, she couldn’t really go without torturing someone for longer than two weeks. She eventually murdered a lot of people, and the numbers vary. But eventually, she started to do this to noble women and men’s daughters, and then she got locked up in her own home.”

The Dark Tower was recorded in the band’s homeland. “We always love to go to Little Creek studios, it’s in Switzerland. Obviously, there’s a creek close to it. So, it’s not entirely in the mountains, but it looks really nice,” she says. “I still feel like a tourist because I’m myself from the Netherlands.”

The first track to be released from the band’s latest offering was Unleash The Beast. “That was the last one we wrote,”

says Laura. “It was just a few days before I would leave to go to the studio. They said, hey, Laura, here is another new song. And I was like, ok, I thought we were done.”

“Unleash The Beast was one of the things that I wanted to get into,” explains Laura. “I kind of wrote half the lyrics and then we went to the studio, and I finished the lyrics in the hotel room. Because there was just not that much time. And we were finishing everything as much as we could.”

Having explored the stories and tales surrounding Countess Bathory throughout the album, Laura tried to develop ideas surrounding the subject for this track in particular. “One of the things I was thinking of that could be part of the album is how do you turn into such a crazy person? Like, how does it happen? It can be genetics, maybe it’s the environment.

But, I think environment should be part of it because there were a lot of military things going on,” explains Laura.

Courtney Cox of the Iron Maidens recently stepped into the Burning Witches fold to cover for Larissa who is expecting a baby in the Summer. “We really love her. She’s just a positive cool person to work with. And she’s obviously a great guitarist, so we’re very happy that she wants to help us out,” explains Laura. “We’ve known her for a long time. Romana knows her since the Action Hammer album. She did the solo on one of the songs and we’ve been in contact. She did a great job now for Unleash The Beast. There’s more stuff coming up, I can’t spoil it yet, but it’s cool.”

The band had a very strong vision of where they wanted to take The Dark Tower sound-wise. “One of the things that we wanted was, we just love when the guitars harmonise a bit like Judas

Priest. We love that stuff. So, we did put some moments in there. And like I said, Larissa is also a big Judas Priest fan, so that made sense also. So, there are some cool melodies going on. And for just the overall sound, we want it to be a bit darker.”

Will we see Burning Witches touring the UK in support of their new album?

“We are actually thinking about how to arrange that at this moment. But let’s see what happens eventually. Because everything is still in the works. And we just need to see what’s possible and what makes sense to do. We hope it’s possible,” explains Laura.

Burning Witches have a busy year ahead.

“We have a show now in December in Latin America, actually Mexico, a really cool festival. It fits the vibe of the new album. It’s the Horror Fest. I really hope I get to see WASP there. So, they are also playing there,” she says. “Maybe we

can do more shows there because we’re going there anyway. And it’s a long journey already. So, these kinds of things. Definitely, we’re thinking about it”

Shows in the USA are also on the cards. “Hopefully the West Coast because last time we did the East Coast of America. And indeed, in the UK, this is all in the works. But we’re looking into more. If it’s going to be later this year, at least, there are a lot of festivals - Wacken is one of them. So, I guess if people can’t wait, they can always see us at one of those festivals, because it’s worth travelling for probably.”

The Dark Tower by Burning Witches is out via Napalm Records on May 5, 2023.

Words: Adam Kennedy Photo Credit: Press Supplied

INTERVIEW WITH DANI FILTH

As fans anxiously await the studio follow-up to Cradle of Filth’s highly acclaimed 2021 full-length album, Existence Is Futile, the extreme metal legends, led by iconic frontman Dani Filth, have unleashed a thirst-quencher of epic proportions - their first live album to be released in over 20 years, Trouble And Their Double Lives, set for release on April 28, 2023, via Napalm Records.

So far 2023 has been a busy year for Cradle of Filth. “I’d like to say it’s been pretty good actually. I’ve been busy writing,” explains frontman Dani Filth. “On top of that, we just came back actually a week and a half ago from three weeks in America, co-headlining with DevilDriver on the Double Trouble Live tour.” He adds: “It was only a short tour, but absolutely amazing, great audiences and a really good experience.” On the subject of a new Cradle of Filth album, he says: “I am excited genuinely about writing, but there’s not much to discuss.”

Cradle of Filth’s upcoming live album has been a long time coming, but is it something that the frontman had a burning desire to do? “The opportunity arose,” he says. “Our last album Existence Is Futile, was put back an entire year and subsequently our move from Nuclear Blast to Napalm Records also suffered a year gap. So, we found ourselves a bit of spare time. We did a lineup change as well, which affected things because we had two new songs which were towards a new album, but we decided to press reset on it with new people - naturally. So, we thought we would find them a home on the live album.”

Fortunately for the band, their sound engineer had been capturing their live shows each evening for the last four years whilst they were touring the world. “Those recordings were then passed to our studio engineer who trawled through them to assess what gigs sounded good and what he could translate. Then it was up to us to pick an eclectic mix of songs that incorporated all epochs of the band and fan favourites.”

In terms of live albums themselves, Dani has a few favourites of his own. “Live After Death was one of my first introductions to the world of metal. So, I love that. And a lot of things like Decades of Aggression. And a bunch of bootlegs. I am a big fan of Bad Religion, and I’ve got some great Bad Religion and Misfits live stuff. But as a rule, I don’t tend to

actually listen to live albums.”

Cradle of Filth’s new live album features two new tracks. “They derive from the genesis of a new album, so you’re always looking for a theme or something,” he says. “I just literally met my girlfriend during the pandemic. And so, I guess She Is A Fire was a bit of a tribute to her,” he says.

“Demon Prince Regent was I suppose going through the feeling of not a fall from grace and such, but a kind of separation from everything that was going on, which I suppose it’s a pandemic thing, isn’t it? The ghost of the pandemic written through the eyes of a sort of Faustian Lucifer or a Milton’s Lucifer,” confirms Dani. “There wasn’t a decided pattern to the album at that present. And we were very lucky to say fortuitous that we decided on a live album, and we have these tracks that, quite frankly, probably wouldn’t have found a home anywhere otherwise. It’s just that we wanted to have a new album, but with a few songs that were from a different lineup would be very strange.”

Cradle of Filth are getting ready to record their new studio record. “We are due to start recording when we come back from Las Vegas in May. So, I think on May 15th, we begin recording the new album. So, we’re just tying up loose ends at the moment, and it’s got a very Dusk And Her Embrace vibe to it, but not necessarily totally musically. Some parts are, it’s more modern than that,” he says.

The band are about to embark on a collaboration with pop superstar Ed Sheeran. But how did the project come to fruition? “It came about because I was going to say his last album, but I think he’s actually moved on from that in his discography. But it was the one where he was basically a vampire for a video, and he was asked sort of relative questions and one came out about heavy metal or whatever. And he said that he grew up listening to Slipknot and Cradle of Filth,” explains Dani.

A story emerged from an interview with Ed. “He was going to come and work in our studio. We were never going to work in the studio, it was always our base to write ideas. It was very local. And our engineer at the time told everybody Yes, I’ve got Cradle of Filth in doing a whole new album here and Ed subsequently managed to land what’s called work experience at the studio,” proclaims Dani.

“So that fell through and so he didn’t bother coming. And he told a funny story about it. He said, actually, you’re probably the reason why I am where I am now is because I went to work for Ipswich Borough Council instead. And he f*cking hated it. Like literally, it was the worst thing he ever did. And despite the fact he was torn away from a recording studio, I think he probably would have given up music if he had come to our recording studio anyway. But yeah, vice versa happened he went to work for Ipswich Borough Council and discovered it was not for him and turned to music instead.”

Following a conversation with management, the project got the green light.

“We chatted for probably the best part of a year and a half before because obviously, he’s a busy man. And I’m quite a busy man as well, and never the twain would meet until just before Christmas and he came to our studio. And when I say come to the studio as well, no bystanders, no security just turned up in his wife’s Mini. A Guitar slung on his back and a Cradle of Filth hoodie; we had an amazing afternoon. It was really good fun and we ended up in the local country pub,” he says. “Everything’s done, bar my contribution to it, and that’s because we’ve been away. And I’m starting that this Friday. It’s going to be a charity single, we’ve both got separate charities we think are worthwhile. I think people will take it a bit more seriously if it’s for charity.”

But when can the Cradle of Filth fans expect the band’s new studio album? “I reckon the beginning of April next year. I think that’s the talk of the town. And I believe we’ll be touring before and the rest of the year after it.”

Trouble And Their Double Lives, the new live album from Cradle of Filth is set for release on April 28, 2023, via Napalm Records.

Words: Adam Kennedy Photo Credit: Annie Atlasman

When it comes to guitar legends, it doesn’t get much better than Phil Campbell. The Motorhead axe man was on the road earlier this year, as part of perhaps one of the best touring packages to cross the UK so far in 2023.

Phil Campbell and the Bastard Sons hit the road with touring counterparts, Michael Monroe and Black Star Riders. An unbeatable bill bringing together these iconic artists. Speaking about the tour, Phil said: “The lineup is great. Everyone’s just a little bit different. And we’re all having so much fun. Michael [Monroe] is a total star on stage. Everyone’s looking out for everyone else and the music’s fantastic,” he says. “A lot of people don’t want the tour to end.”

Joining Black Star Riders on their current run is talismanic guitarist Scott Gorham. Of course, the Thin Lizzy guitar slinger took a break from Black Star Riders, but couldn’t resist the opportunity to share the stage with the band during their latest UK tour. Thin Lizzy was an important band for Phil Campbell. “I’m a huge fan. I’ve got all of their albums. It was Whiskey in the Jar first, of course. And then all the way through. You’ve got to be into Lizzy if you are into rock music,” he says.

Throughout the tour, Phil sat in with Black Star Riders as a special guest for one track each night. “It’s a great buzz for me being up there, especially with Scott playing Don’t Believe A Word with him.”

Phil Campbell and the Bastard Sons recently unveiled their new live album titled Live In The North. The concert album was recorded during an intimate show in Sunderland. Recollecting that night, Phil said: “It was an intense small clubs show and we kind of brutalized it. We had a lot of fun doing it. And we listened back to the recordings, and we thought this is cool, so we will whack this one out. Then we’ve got a studio album coming out this year. It’s all finished and mixed.”

Speaking about the band’s upcoming studio release, Phil shared a few insights. “We’ve been working on it for about a year, the songwriting. Todd comes in with a lot of songs. We all contribute, and I come up with song ideas, and Todd comes in with three or four complete songs. So, we all muck in. Todd is one of the main guys. Todd produced it as well. And Soren Anderson, who is Glenn

Hughes’ guitar player. He’s mixed We Are The Bastards and he’s mixing this one. This is really heavy.”

In January 2022, the band announced that Joel Peters had been made a permanent member of the band. But how has the vocalist been settling in so far?

“Great, he’s been with us for about a year now. In between Neil and Joel, we had Andrew Hunt. He helped us out one summer for some shows. Andrew did a fantastic job. But Joel got interested and we did some stuff. He’s been fantastic. He’s just like another family member. He’s a good guy,” confirms Phil.

Of course, Motorhead was regarded as one of the loudest bands on the planet. Recollecting auditioning for the band, Phil said: “When Lemm plugged in his bass it was the loudest thing. It was in a small rehearsal room in Sinclair Road.” But did Phil want to take the ethos of being the loudest band into the Bastard Sons? “We’ve always played quite loud. My band before Motorhead I always had a Marshall stack. I prefer it a little bit quieter now on stage. They tell me it’s loud out front. But on stage in Motorhead it used to be just as loud as it was out front. That’s partly because of my deafness now, which comes with a job,” he says. “It’s a bit more toned down with the Bastard Sons on stage. It still pumps it out.”

Now with his own band going full steam ahead, does Phil still enjoy performing Motorhead tracks live? “People want it, don’t they? And I don’t mind playing the occasional song or two. I’m not going to be in any Motorhead tribute band. Even though we do occasional festivals, with Motorhead sets, and we did the one special tour. Just because people requested it. But no, I like this band to stand on his own two feet. There’s no harm in doing some cool Motorhead songs.”

The group is presently celebrating the fifth anniversary of their debut fulllength album The Age of Absurdity. “We were together as a fun band for two years before Motorhead stopped. I think we were Phil Campbell’s All-Star Band. It had the same members in it and my kids and Neil. And when sadly, Motorhead we decided to call it a day and Lemm passed away. I took it a bit more seriously then and changed the name to the Bastard Sons. We did some of that album in Rockfield. We did the drums and things in Rockfield for three days, it was the

first time I’d recorded there so it was good,” he says. “We had debut album of the year for one of the magazines. And we had Album of the Year for another website for the second one. So, it would be nice to get something for the third one.”

As we hurtle towards the festival season, Phil enjoys performing, but travelling can be challenging. “Last summer, we were so busy. I remember there were threehour queues outside Schiphol Airport in Amsterdam before you even got in, and things like that. It’s just flying. I can’t stand the airports. And then you’ve got to get in a van to get to the festivals. In Europe and the UK, we get the luxury of a bus. Sometimes we might be in Holland one day, and Portugal the next day. So, we can’t bus it everywhere. It’s all good, fun festivals.”

Moving forward, the band’s plans for the year are still developing. “We might try and jump on somebody else’s tour if anything is going out. But if not, we will do the rounds again. So, we’re still looking into it the offers and things at the moment. We are pretty busy up to the end of summer.”

Live Up North by Phil Campbell and the Bastard Sons is out now. The group will perform at HRH 16 in Great Yarmouth between the 2nd and 5th of November, 2023. For ticket information and further details, please visit https://hardrockhell. com/. Words

& Photo Credit: Adam Kennedy

THE AGONY

Czech rockers The Agony will soon unveil their new studio album Rising. Having undergone some line-up changes in recent times, the album symbolises the quartet’s rise, just like a phoenix from the flames.

Besides completing their latest offering in the first quarter of 2023, this year has seen the band’s lead vocalist Nikola Kandoussi take to the road with rock legends Girlschool during their recent UK tour. “We had our album recording scheduled for February. It was funny because originally, we were supposed to go in the first week of February. And then suddenly, I got a phone call saying that it was postponed. So, all the plans and the organisation had to be changed,” explains Nikola. “I was pretty upset, to be honest. But everything happens for a reason. Because then I got another phone call saying you are going on tour with Girlschool in those two weeks.” The artist adds: “I spent the whole of February touring and then recording. I spent the whole of March trying to recover from it all.”

The Rising marks a new chapter for The Agony. “I would say the album is the introduction of a new approach in the band with a new line-up. Because we have two new girls in the band. They have been with us for a year, and this is the first album they’ve done with us,” said Nikola. “Also, the new sound because we wanted to aim for something a little bit more modern. No samples, but still good old rock and roll. We did it with a younger guy this time and he’s got a different approach to things. So again, a new sound.”

The band has been reinvigorated by the line-up changes. “I would say the band is a little bit reborn because, after COVID, losing half of the band and replacing them with the new girls and starting from scratch, the record is basically summarising everything,” declares Nikola. “When we found the two new girls Domi and Petra, we supported The Scorpions in Prague at the O2 Arena. Everyone was saying, I can’t believe you guys were on the verge of a breakup, and suddenly, you are rising, like a phoenix. It kind of stuck, as the title. And the whole philosophy behind it, I would say as well.”

The Agony are striving towards a contemporary rock sound on their new album. “I think the new record from Halestorm was one of the references. They definitely use a bit more samples and electronic stuff. But the whole approach to sound, I think there was a bit of inspiration,” she says. “Now, I know, I’m nowhere near Lzzy Hale, obviously, she’s a far better singer, and lead guitar player as well. But, they know how to take a song and make it modern.”The band

are trying to reach a new audience with their latest release. “Everybody used to say that we are a very 80s/90s sounding band. I love the 80s. I love the 90s as well. But then again, I wanted to bring us closer to the younger audience, if you know what I mean, while still obviously staying true to the meaning of the songs and the sound I like, but just a little bit of change.”

Supporting The Scorpions in Prague was a whirlwind experience for the band. “It was absolutely crazy. I’ve never been more nervous than before taking the stage for that gig. Because obviously there was 18,000 people in your hometown. The O2 Arena is the largest indoor venue in Prague in the Czech Republic, and I think maybe even in the whole of Central Europe,” she says. “Supporting The Scorpions on such a big stage in front of so many people and family and friends. To this day I don’t remember much of that gig. If we didn’t have the video, I probably wouldn’t know what happened. I just zoned out. I was lost, I took the stage. And from that moment on, I can’t remember much.”The Agony are presently celebrating their 10th anniversary. Nikola had a strong vision for the band from the off. “I found the girls and then everything was quite fast, because we got together, and the first EP came out two months after. Then it started to pick up the pace again, with the debut album and the second album, and many gigs in between. Then festival slots came and then the first tour of Europe and UK gigs as well. And then COVID came, so nothing much happened. But thankfully, we survived. Now, I think we are even stronger. So, it’s been a quite wild ride, I would say. And hopefully, we are still improving.”

Nikola was recently invited to join Girlschool on their UK tour realising a dream for the singer/guitarist to play alongside her idols. “It was amazing. When I got a phone call from management it was a huge shock, and a lot of organisation because it came out of the blue. I had pretty much two weeks to get prepared and organise everything at home with work with my band and everything. I knew that we wouldn’t have any rehearsal, I just had to play by ear,” she says. “I knew exactly what I went into and what my role was, and obviously, I am a fan of Girlschool, but at the same time, the girls are my friends. I think that is the most brilliant thing. I’ve known them for over 15 years now,” says Nikola. “It was amazing because I love the music. So,

for me to play those songs on that stage with the girls, with Denise banging the drums behind. To hear the double bass drum exactly the way it needs to be. And, obviously, to have Jax next to me playing together. And Tracy, she’s one hell of a bass player. So, I had a brilliant time.”

Nikola’s discovery of Girlschool came at a young age. “It was the glorious time of MySpace and discussion forums. I was 14, and I was looking on some discussion forum really, because I just started to play the guitar two years prior, and I was looking for some female role models or inspiration because I was like - but girls, they must play too. So, I was trying to search for someone, and I got some recommendations. The Runaways, L7, and Girlschool,” said Nikola. “One of the ladies on the discussion forum sent me a burned CD of the Very Best of Girlschool, which started with Come On, Let’s Go. So, imagine the effects it had on a 14-yearold girl. That’s the best thing I’ve ever heard in my life.”

Soon after she discovered the band, Nikola met Girlschool in person. “I got to meet them at a festival in the Czech Republic. I was freshly 15 celebrating my birthday with my father at the festival. And Girlschool were playing there. I found - I’m not kidding you, a backstage bracelet. So, I could go backstage and meet the band,” she says. “I went to meet them backstage, and I just introduced myself and we started chatting. And then obviously the gig blew me away. That was when I wanted my all-female band. I wanted to do the same.”

The Agony will be touring the UK this summer. “Honestly, I’m looking forward to Trillians in Newcastle. To be honest, I really liked the venue. But I’ve never played Hartlepool and Leicester,” she says. “Whenever I can play in the UK, it’s a happy time for me. It’s my second home, really. So, I can’t wait to be back.”

Rising by The Agony will be released on the 27th of April to celebrate the band’s 10th anniversary. The group will be performing across the UK throughout the summer calling at Trillians Rock Bar in Newcastle on the 23rd August, The Spotlight Venue in Hartlepool on the 24th of August and The Musician in Leicester on the 25th of August.

Words: Adam Kennedy Photo Credit: Audrey Liska

Rudy Sarzo has a CV which features stints with some of the greats of the rock/metal world. From his tenures with Ozzy, Whitesnake, Dio and Quiet Riot, the esteemed bass player has played alongside many a legend, including the late great Randy Rhodes.

Since the late 70s, Rudy has featured in many line-ups of Quiet Riot. Fast forward to 2021 and the LA-based artist is back in the group whilst carrying on the musical legacy that has been left behind by his fallen bandmates. “The whole thing is to celebrate the legacy and the memory of Frankie Banali, Kevin DuBrow and Randy Rhoads. Because when I think of Quiet Riot, I go back to when I first started with it,” explains Rudy. “So that’s what I do. I go out there and celebrate the legacy of the band that I’ve been a part of since the 70s. And the memory of my bandmates who are no longer with us.”

He adds: “I’m playing in one of the most passionate bands I’ve ever been in because everybody gets it. Everybody gets why there’s a purpose for us to go out there and play. Everybody respects that and gets it and celebrates it. I went in there just to celebrate the band, not knowing what it was going to be like to play with Jizzy, Alex and Johnny. And I’ve got to tell you, it’s been a total blessing. It really has been from day one.”

Quiet Riot are presently celebrating the 40th anniversary of their seminal album Metal Health. The artist recollects how that album came to fruition. “I was in LA waiting to go out to New York to record the Speak of the Devil record with Ozzy live at the Ritz. And I get a phone call from Kevin inviting me to come down to the studio,” he says. “Kevin invited me to come down to record on Thunderbird, which is a song that he wrote for Randy when he left Quiet Riot to join Ozzy Osbourne and I used to play that song

with him.”

Rudy had a close connection with the frontman. “I was living with Kevin up until the day that I joined Ozzy. We were really close. So, I said, sure, I’d love to because we knew all along that it was definitely a tribute to the memory of Randy whether it was because he left Quiet Riot and was playing with Ozzy or whether he was not no longer with us,” said Sarzo. “After Randy died, it was never the same playing with Ozzy. First of all, I lost my Quiet Riot family, which was the only reference that I had to a real band.”

Randy Rhoads was more than just a bandmate to Rudy Sarzo, he was also a friend and a mentor. “When Randy passed away, I lost that. Plus, him being a mentor to me about what it’s like to have musical integrity, or just integrity in life in general. But he showed it to me through his music and everything related

to his music. So, when Randy died, I lost all of that,” confirms Sarzo.

When Rudy got into the studio with Quiet Riot there were some familiar faces. “I go into the studio to record Thunderbird, and there is Frankie Banali. We had a long history. It took us 10 years since we met to finally get into the studio to record something that possibly was going to be on record. Then there was Kevin who I will have been playing with him. In Quiet Riot with Randy and DuBrow and living with him. Carlos, I had just met, I never really played with him or socialised with him, but being back with Frankie and Kevin, my old family was enough to bring back the joy of making music again because I really lost it after Randy passed away,” explains Rudy. “So, here we are, and we cut Thunderbird really quickly because I used to play that song in Dubrow.”

Recording with Quiet Riot at that time re-

invigorated Rudy. “By the time I left this session, I was really overjoyed. I found the joy again of making music. So that’s what that initial session means to me,” he says. “I was still a member of Ozzy. So, a couple of days later, I flew out to New York, and re-recorded the Black Sabbath recordings for Speak of the Devil, with Tommy, Brad Gillis and Ozzy. And, then by the time I came back to LA where I live, I made the decision to leave Ozzy and, and re-join the total unknown. The only thing that I knew was that I was going to be happy again making music which is the goal and purpose of making music to be happy?”

Being back in Quiet Riot has been a revelation for Rudy Sarzo. For me, it’s been an incredible opportunity to look deep within myself. It’s like rediscovering myself and then wanting to come up with a better version of myself because it’s 40 years later,” he says. “It’s always been a delight, and you add new energy,

new ideas, plus I’m playing with different musicians.”

Quiet Riot will be returning to our shores to perform at HRH AOR next year. “I love playing the UK. For me, there’s so much history. The reason why I am a musician is because of what happened during the rock British invasion,” says Rudy. “It’s indescribable to me, but there’s a spirit there - a connection emotionally.”

Quiet Riot will perform at HRH AOR X between the 7th – 10th of March 2024. For ticket information and further details, please visit https://hrhaor.com/.

Words: Adam Kennedy Photo Credit: Press Supplied

HARD ROCK HELL RADIO

DJ PROFILE: CHARLOTTE HOOPER HARD ROCK HELL RADIO DJ PROFILE: CHARLOTTE HOOPER

Hi Charl! Let’s start at the beginning…You are now part of the Media Team for HRH, but we need to know about how you got to where you are today, so please introduce yourself to the HRH MAG readers.

Hey - thanks for having me! I’m Charl, I’m head of Audience, Broadcast and Press for HRH X and I also have a radio slot every Friday 10am-midday called The Rule Breakers which plays the best in grunge, folk, unplugged and everything in between! I’m a huge lover of music and a big fan of vinyl!

Tell us about your formative years, have you always been interested in working in music and media?

Since high school I’ve always wanted to do something music related as a career. I played a variety of instruments in a number of orchestras, one of which I joined to tour different parts of Spain and Italy with. I ultimately wanted to be a performer but I failed my music A level and wasn’t authorised to re-sit the test. I have never in my life felt as lost as I was in that moment. Having to refocus my vision and look at other ventures, I carried on my creative path with media studies and pursued this as a degree at uni, and not really looked back since! In terms of actual work, I’ve had a number of jobs since the age of 16. Starting as a pot-wash picking potato skins out of the drain in a local pub, working in cafes, other pubs and hotels. Throughout university I worked three part-time hospitality jobs alongside volunteering at MMH – The Home of Rock Radio and a few other, extra projects towards my work experience. I eventually worked my way up to Assistant Manager at a bar and restaurant by the time I was 23, and after a few other hospitality roles, I was offered my first paid media-related role as a Creative Assistant for a entertainment company –looking after social media accounts for a variety of vintage acts and also creating content such as graphics, short videos and advertisements. HRH then entered my life as a fresh chapter and the rollercoaster certainly hasn’t disappointed so far!

What was the soundtrack to your life as a kid, what were your parents listening too when you were growing up?

My Dad is a hardcore fan of The Beatles so their entire back catalogue has been the main core of my love for music and I never get tired of listening to them, even now. My first ever concert was Paul McCartney when I was 8 years old. My sisters gave me a knowledge of early noughties RnB I didn’t know I needed but certainly helped me get out of some teasing at high school and uni! As I got older I started to appreciate music in so many different ways. I discovered Bob Dylan, Joan Baez, Joni Mitchell (a fave of my Mum’s!), Woody Guthrie, Pete Seeger and all the other folk legends when I was about 11 and from then I was desperate to listen to music of ALL genres, understand its history and soak in any piece of knowledge

Interview By: Viki Ridley

shared with me. My parents were extremely encouraging with my love for music, mainly because it was shared across the household. We would travel a lot to see various different music related locations and the total highlight for me was visiting Kurt Cobain’s house in Seattle on the 15th Anniversary of his passing – truly incredible. I was prime emo age at high school with Paramore, My Chemical Romance and A Day to Remember mostly being played on my iPod shuffle! I’d go to a lot of concerts too like seeing the original line-up of the Sex Pistols a few times, Bob Dylan, Yes and Slipknot multiple times as well as many others – I love music that I love!

You went to Uni to study Media and Radio, what was your dream when you first started your Uni journey?

For my bachelor’s degree I studied Media and Communication and specialised in Radio for my third year which was my final degree title. I then spent a year studying and achieving my Masters degree in Radio and Audio Production with my final dissertation focusing on Canadian Heavy Metal Music. My idea of my ‘dream job’ changed a lot throughout my studies, and the beauty with media is you naturally cross over a variety of areas that become useful skills in ways you would never imagine. I remember leaving uni wanting to be either a radio producer, documentary maker or key researcher, with the idea of eventually working my way up to Production Manager or a Station Manager. The main thing I love about the role I have now, is that no two days are the same. I have the creative freedom to put my own mark on certain things, I get to work and connect with some really cool and interesting people, and I get to learn skills that I never knew I would need! I don’t think I have an idea of a ‘dream job’ anymore – I’m just excited to see where I end up!

Do you think this gave you an insight into the real world of events management, the music industry and the business side of it all? The course modules I chose were more creative rather than business or events based, so it wasn’t until I volunteered for a Mental Health awareness festival that I understood the nitty gritty of how an event is ran. Obviously now with HRH I’ve gained tons of great opportunities and I’ve been extremely lucky to have been given some mind-blowing experiences.

What brought you into the HRH Family, had you been to any of the events, did you know what a crazy world you were entering into? knew of HRH prior to joining the team from my work with MMH, but had never attended an actual event, so to use your phrase – I had no idea what ’crazy’ world I was getting involved with! But as I mentioned before the people, both audience and team, have been some of the loveliest and most passionate people I’ve ever met. Wouldn’t change it for the world.

You work for a company who’s roots are firmly in rock and metal, who are your favourite musicians, bands or artists? What really brings you joy or makes your heart pound?

I love this question! I’m a total grunge girl at heart, depending on how I feel depends on what I listen to but my music taste is pretty vast – one album that will always hold a soft spot for me in Nirvana unplugged, but a few other favourites include Soundgarden, Pearl Jam, Stevie Nicks, Mama’s and Papa’s, The Doors, Crosby, Stills & Nash to name a few! I’m an absolute sucker for harmonising, acoustic vibes so people such as Hozier and The Staves are big favourites there too.

Have you met or worked with any of your musical or media heroes yet and if so, how did you react?

I’ve been extremely fortunate with my work experience and job roles. One of the first Download Festivals’ I covered, I was able to interview L7 which was a total fan girl moment for me. The following year I had a 10 minute chat with Stone Temple Pilots backstage for a radio interview, and I’ve also interviewed the likes of Atreyu, Godsmack, Frank Turner and quite a few others. Working with The Darkness for Hard Rock Hell 15th Anniversary was something rather special too.

If you could speak to 18 year old Charl, what advice would you give yourself? What do you think your reaction would be to hearing about your life now?

I still pinch myself now especially in situations like these where I have the opportunity to reflect and appreciate how far hard work can get you. I was always told throughout uni that I need sharper elbows to make it in this industry, that I’m too soft, I won’t be able to handle it, and I always said – even if it takes me longer, I will get there and I will be working in the industry but on my terms. I’m never going to change who I am to get where I want to be. I think 18 year old Charl would be looking at a completely different person to who she envisioned being. My advice would be, to be patient. No matter how big the problem, everything is fixable. Always be professional. Don’t change who you are as a person to suit a job description or requirement.

Rock legends Winger will release their eagerly anticipated new studio album Seven on the 5th of May. The 12-track record was produced by Kip Winger and recorded in Nashville. The band’s latest offering also marks the celebration of the band’s 35-year career.

Seven will be Winger’s first new release since 2014’s Better Days Comin album. As the old analogy goes – all good things come to those who wait. But what took the band so long this time around? “I wrote a musical and I do a lot of classical music and Reb Beach was the longest-running member in Whitesnake,” explains Kip. “They [Whitesnake] were playing a lot and doing albums, while I was doing a lot of solo shows. So, we just never had the time to do it because he was doing Whitesnake, and that was fine with me because I was working on all our projects.

Thankfully, the group’s schedules aligned, and an opportunity arose to make the band’s new album. “It was supposed to come out before COVID,” says Kip. “We got started before COVID. We thought it might come out in 2020 or 21. But COVID just beat everybody. And so, it took longer to get it together because of a lot of logistical difficulties.”

Whilst many groups resorted to writing and recording remotely, the Winger frontman preferred to opt for a more traditional approach. “I refuse to do an album where somebody mails in their part by email,” he says. “I bring everybody into the studio. Because for me, it’s a visceral thing, you have to be sitting in the room with somebody going into this. I don’t want somebody to just sit home and do their parts left alone to their own devices, because I have a very particular way, I hear stuff.”

Logistical challenges aside, inspiration is something that can’t be forced. “I only want to make records when I’m inspired to do it. I’m not one of these artists that wants to put out 10 records of the same sounding stuff,” says Kip. “Or, hey, this album has got three amazing songs, and the rest of it sucks, which is what too many rock bands fall into the habit of doing. I’m not that kind of an artist, I have to just keep rolling forward. And if I don’t feel inspired by it, just because I have a brand and a successful franchise or whatever you want to call it, I don’t want to cheat the audience out of something that they deserve.”

The frontman had a strong idea of what he wanted from the band’s new release. “I wanted to capture the inspiration of the first album combined with kind of more depth of composition in from the third album,” he says. “I also was very insistent in having all the original members play on every single song. So, what you’re hearing on this album is all the original members plus John Roth playing on every single song.” The result of this approach has had a huge impact on the release. “It’s actually the most true Winger album of all of them even like on the first album.”

But what has been the secret to the band’s longevity? “We have a great time. That’s the thing about our band. The reason that we’re still together, the original members is we’re friends. We’ve never had legal battles; we’ve never got into any big fights. We all dig each other. We

love the hang. It’s not like hey, we’re just doing this for the money. It’s nothing like that. We dig the hang. We like playing gigs with each other. We respect each other.”

Winger will shortly be embarking on a UK tour alongside Steel Panther. This was something that Kip felt would be a great touring package for the band. “It was my idea. I texted Michael Starr and I was like, dude, let’s do some shows together because I love those guys. Not only that, they’re really good musicians, they’re a great band. They’re great people,” he says. “At this stage, I don’t want to work with any assholes, I’ve met a lot of them. Everybody that we tour with, they’re great. I really like those guys and I just think actually in this case, it’s a very special opportunity for the audiences to see a band from the era that the show parodies and Steel Panther. So I think it’s a very unique pairing and I’m excited about it.”

The band’s upcoming run with Steel Panther will also be Winger’s first band shows on this side of the pond in many years. Speaking about his relationship with the British audiences Kip said: “UK fans are amazing. For years I did a yearly acoustic show at The Borderline in London and it was usually sold out every time. The audience sings every song it’s the greatest.”

Of course, Winger had many hits throughout their long and successful career. Although early in their career, the concept of singles over albums was something that the artist didn’t think too much about. “I’d never thought singles. I remember being in the studio playing the album for an A&R Director. And the first time they were like, oh, that could be a single. I was like, really a single, I was totally clueless man. Naive in a bad way. So, I totally didn’t get it,” he says. “We were very lucky because there was a fella who was one of the radio promoters at Atlantic who fought for Headed for a Heartbreak to be a single. He was like, this is really unusual and out of the norm, and it’s going to set them apart. He fought for that. And he was right because the rest of them wanted to put out Without the Night, which was a much more inside ballad.” Kip adds: “It was something that set us apart. But I personally had no clue.”

Winger’s recent single Desperado is a track that the group are proud of. “It’s

like a rock anthem for the people that have lost faith in things that they believed in and been led down a path that turned out to be crap,” he says. “Reb and I had that song and that was one of the first songs we wrote for this album.”

Kip called upon the assistance of a music legend on the track. “We had the music and the melody and everything. And I was just stuck on lyrics. I ran into Desmond Child at a rock and roll fantasy camp where he was doing a master class. I asked him if he would help me write this tune, and he said, yes. I’d never written with him. I’ve known him for a long time. And so, he helped me knock the words out,” said Kip. “He really contributed a lot to those lyrics, and I was really proud to be able to write a tune with him after all these years. So, I’m very happy with that song.”

Kip believes that the rock scene is strong presently. “I think the Def Leppard Motley Crue stadium tour is a really good example of the demand for this kind of music and the staying power of it,” he says. “It can’t get any bigger than Def Leppard, Motley Crue - they’re doing stadiums. I think the fallout from that it’s just helping everybody.”

Moving forward touring is very much on the Winger agenda. “We’re doing a bunch of shows. We’ve got the Tom Kiefer tour in the summer. Steel Panther in May and tonnes of headline shows. We’re looking at going to Australia in September. Maybe Japan in September. We’ll tour through the rest of the year for sure. And into next year, I’m sure.”

Seven, the new studio album from Winger, will be distributed worldwide by Frontiers Records and is due out on 5th of May.

Words: Adam Kennedy Photo Credit: Press Supplied

Sweet & Lynch, the musical union of vocalist/guitarist Michael Sweet (Stryper, Iconic) and guitarist George Lynch (Lynch Mob, The End Machine, ex-Dokken), have announced the long-awaited release of their third album, “Heart & Sacrifice” on May 19th. The combination of Sweet’s powerful, high-octane vocals and Lynch’s immediately recognizable guitar heroics once again prove to be an unbeatable combination sure to please the hard rock faithful.

Time away from the road proved to be a creatively fertile time for guitar legend George Lynch. “I’m going to be sort of a contrarian here in the sense that I elevated my output and my productivity during the pandemic years,” he says. “In the post-pandemic years, I think I’ve sort of exhausted myself looking down the road here going, well, I kind of did everything, I don’t know what else to do.”

The third album from Sweet & Lynch came together with the assistance of Frontiers Records. “We weren’t sure we were going to do a third one, because of the way that we wanted to record the record, which was to bring Brian Tichy out, and bring James LoMenzo out, and go to the studio on the east coast and work there for a while, and then come back to California work on it for a while,” he says. “It just got to the point where it wasn’t cost-effective. So, it was really logistics and finances. It’s just a practical consideration. It’s just we can’t do the record we want for the kind of money that we have to spend on this record. So, it just wasn’t going to happen.”

In the end, the band and their label collectively came to a solution. “What ended happening is we worked it out with Frontiers, our label, and we made some concessions, which didn’t hurt the quality of the record at all and made it financially viable to do.”

The guitarist extraordinaire has been recently out on tour with his band Lynch Mob. “I think touring is the lifeblood of any band,” he says. “I’ve got a really wonderful group of guys that I’m hoping we’re going to stick around for a while. I know nothing’s forever, but so far, it’s stuck. And I feel so confident with this band. And I know, every night we walk out on stage that we’re going to deliver, and we do consistently, we don’t have bad shows. There’s not a weak link. And we’re all just having a blast and killing it. And I don’t want to oversell it, but I’m

just saying this is it for me. I love this band and with this group of guys.”

One of many of the artist’s upcoming albums is the new release from Lynch Mob. “We have a new record that we’ve been working on, it’s just got delivered, called Babylon. And again, going back to how excited we are about our little babies. We love this record so much,” confirms George.

Lynch Mob has recently been on tour alongside the guitarist’s former outfit Dokken. “It’s a really good natural fit. I think it serves that purpose of being more than just a billing because there’s something in between the bands,” he says. “George is on the same bill, as the guy that replaced him playing George’s songs. And then George comes out and plays his songs after the other guy played his songs. Then there’s the me and Don dynamic and all that has been built up over the years. Obviously, are they going to get in a fistfight, or they’re going to hug it out, and all this kind of little personality, human stuff that is more compelling, maybe, or just as compelling as the music.”

However, these shows also illustrate the evolution of the artist’s career. “Lynch Mob came out as an extension, or got launched off Dokken, and so it’s kind of a reaction to Dokken. And so, there’s all these little ways of thinking about it, and these different dynamics at play here. So, it’s a good fit, and we’re in the entertainment business. So that all helps rather than just have it be a one-dimensional thing,” confirms George. “All that other stuff in the back and drama is ancient history to us. Everybody gets along, we all have fun, all the band members and everything. And we’re all there for the same reason, we’re there to play our hearts out and do a good show every night, to make the audience happy and enjoy ourselves.”

Bringing Lynch Mobb and Dokken together on tour took a bit of effort. “It’s something I’ve pounded the table about doing for at least two decades with different agents and could never get an agent motivated to make it happen. And eventually, our current agent is also Don’s agent and thought it was a good idea and did make it happen. They got Don on board, got the promoters on board, and it’s works. Maybe this won’t go on forever. We do great numbers, and we make people really happy,” said

George.

One of the tracks from the Dokken era which became synonymous with George is the instrumental number Mr. Scary. “Mr Scary is no different than 99.9% of everything else I’ve recorded in the studio, none of it’s premeditated. The structure of the song is premeditated. I mean, you go in with the drum and the bass player and you record the rhythm parts, and you arrange a song. In the case of Mr. Scary, what happened was, it was intended to be a vocal assault. I’ll work something out and do something on it. But he told me he couldn’t come up with anything for it. So I didn’t want to lose it off the record. So I decided to make a stab at instrumentalizing,” explains Lynch. “I had the drums, I had the bass, I had the rhythm guitar with an arrangement doing the riff and the chords, but I didn’t have all that other stuff on top of it that made all the ear candy stuff, and all the little tricks. All the layers that were there that had no idea what I was going to put on there.”

Besides Lynch Mob and Sweet and Lynch, the guitarist has a busy year of releases ahead. “I’ve got nine releases coming out this year,” he says. Plus, I’m getting older. Naturally, you think you should slow down a little bit. So, you probably want that somewhat. But I’m going to keep making records. I’ve got a couple of records in the pipeline. I’m going to look at making probably another Heavy Hitters record with Jeff, that’ll be our third, and probably another KXM record with dUg and Ray. And we play around 50 dates a year.” The artist concludes: “I’m going to tour pretty steadily this year, and in the next year, I will probably start winding down.”

Heart & Sacrifice, the new album from Sweet & Lynch, will be released on May 19th.

Words: Adam Kennedy Photo Credit: Press Supplied

Interview WITH Josh Todd

US rockers Buckcherry are preparing to release their landmark 10th studio album, which is aptly titled Vol 10. The 11-song album features 10 new Buckcherry originals and, as a bonus track, a cover of the Bryan Adams classic Summer of 69. The album was produced by Marti Frederiksen and recorded at Sienna Studios in Nashville, TN.

To have reached this milestone in their careers is quite an achievement for Buckcherry. “We’re celebrating 10 records in the game. I’ve said this before, but not a lot of bands get to do this in their careers. I’m so grateful that I still get to make records and get to do it after all these years,” says frontman Josh Todd. “Our first record was in 1999. So, to hit that milestone for us is, it’s really exciting.”

Arriving at this point hasn’t always been easy. “We’ve weathered a lot of storms, a lot of peaks, a lot of valleys. Also, what’s happened with the rock’n’roll genre, as well, to be here after all that is pretty cool,” he says. “I’ve learned a lot over the years, and I’m still developing. I’m still a student of the game. I still really enjoy getting better at songwriting, and finding new places in my voice that I can add to my whole bag of tricks. So, it’s still interesting to me, I really love it.”

Like many bands, enduring COVID was a challenge for Buckcherry. “It was like a big learning experience. We wrote Hellbound in 2020. Thank God, we had that record to focus on because of all the chaos that was going on. But because of all that chaos, we wrote, really, one of the best records of our lives. And there were a lot of feelings and situations for me as a lyric writer to access. It became pretty exciting, and I’m so glad that we had that record to focus on,” confirms Josh. “That being said, I’m so glad that we’ve come full circle, and here we are. Vol 10 is a much more fun record because it coincides with us coming out of that whole situation. So, I’m grateful for that.”

Buckcherry worked with producer extraordinaire Marti Frederiksen on their new album. This was something the band enjoyed immensely. “I love Marty, and I told him that many times,” says Josh. “He’s a really talented individual. And when we get in the room, it’s very exciting for Stevie and I. And we write really great songs together, we have a great chemistry, and I don’t want to

not do that anymore. I told him I don’t want to make any more records without you, because of that dynamic, it’s really great. So, hopefully, we can carry that on as long as I’m in this game.” Josh adds: “He’s like a sixth band member when we get in the room with him. And there’s just a lot of trust on both sides. And because of that, we always do what serves the song best, and there’s nobody with a hidden agenda or anything like that. You’re seeing the results of that with Vol 10 and Hellbound. So, it’s been a lot of fun.”

The opening track of Vol 10, which is titled This And That is a real earworm at the top of the release and immediately grabs the listener’s attention. “That was actually from the Hellbound demos, it didn’t make the Hellbound record. And there were two songs on Vol 10 that came from the Hellbound writing sessions, and that’s This And That and Turn It On,” explains Josh. “We just all really liked This And That. And Marty said, I really think that we can do this; this song would be really good. And we thought so as well.” He adds: “It’s just got a good groove. And everybody liked it.”

Perhaps one of the most surprising tracks on Vol 10 is Buckcherry’s take on the Bryan Adams classic Summer of 69. “We would throw that out live, especially during the Hellbound tour. We did this thing where we go. We’ve got time for one more song. What do you guys want to hear? Then everybody says Crazy Bitch. And we’re going you want to hear Summer of 69. And then we go into Bryan Adams, and we rip it out. And everybody gets into it,” he says.

“Our manager was there one time and saw it and he was like, this is f*cking great. You’ve got to record this song. And we’re like, ok, and he just kept on it all the way to the end. It was the last song we recorded. And we’re like, ok, we’ll record the song. But I don’t think it’s going to be on the record, maybe a bonus track. So, we ripped it out, and we do it a little faster than Bryan Adams. And when you put my voice on it, it automatically sounds like a Buckcherry song.” Josh adds: “We’ve done so many records. It’s good for us to do a cover every now and again.”

The first single to be released from Vol 10 was Good Times. As the title indicates it’s a feel-good slice of rock and roll. Speaking about the track Josh said: “It just made me want to write in the vein

of why I got into rock music. When I was going to see a rock show, AC/DC was big for me, and so it was fun. It was a party, you could dance to it, you could rock to it. Girls and guys are going to the shows. It was somewhere to be - it was a community, with fun, and I feel like it hasn’t been that way for a long time. So, I wanted to write a feel-good rock and roll, dancey type up-tempo groove and that was it. That’s what came out.”

For the foreseeable future, Buckcherry will be focusing on their new release. “It’s promoting this record Vol 10, which drops June 2nd, and you can get it on all digital platforms, where you get music, you can preorder it right now and get two songs. So, we’re going to be out promoting that of course and touring, doing what we do best and how we built our foundation. As we put records out and we tour on them, we still do that. So, that’s what we’re going to do.

Buckcherry, completed by Stevie D (guitar), Billy Rowe (guitar), Kelly LeMieux (bass) and Francis Ruiz (drums), are due to release Vol. 10 on 2nd June 2023. UK, EU, AUS and NZ fans can find it for pre-order at earache.com/buckcherry on limited edition splatter and colour vinyl, signed CD, cassette and more.

Words: Adam Kennedy Photo Credit: Press Supplied

REVIEW AND PHOTO GALLERY

On a cold and wet weekend, HRH Spring Break brought the perfect party antidote to the inclement weather to Great Yarmouth. Over thirty bands formed an eclectic line-up of rock, metal, thrash and much more. HRH Mag reporter Simon Potthast runs down the highlights of the weekend.

For the early birds, London based rockers, Ransom kicked things off on the second stage with their upbeat brand of entertaining, classic rock inspired tunes getting the punters well and truly warmed up for the weekend ahead. While over on the main stage, White Raven Down put on an awesome performance of melodic heavy rock, tuning up the audience’s vocal cords for the first time of the weekend.

Next up, Iconic Eye gave us a fun, upbeat set with a definite 80’s vibe comprising a mix of harmonising solos. The awesome voice of frontwoman Janey Smith and her effortless rapport with the crowd. Standout tracks included the anthemic Black Heart with its soaring string section and their final tune, a cover of Jefferson Starship’s Jane.

Electric Black brought their excellent blues rock stylings to the evening along with a fun mid-set game of Beer From The Bar keeping the band and the audience well lubricated and in fine spirits. VEGA then stormed onto the stage with incredible hard rock harmonies, classic rock solos and melodic vocals. The duelling guitar solos mid set were particularly impressive, and the crowd absolutely loved frontman Nick Workman’s banter.

Dare, fronted by former Thin Lizzy keyboard player Darron Wharton, brought a level of polished professionalism to the evening as they played through a showcase of tracks from their significant back catalogue. Including a dedication to Phil Lynott with the anthemic Return. If Dare brought the class, then headliners Enquire Within brought the thunder with easily one of the heaviest sets of the day bringing the evening to a thrash fuelled conclusion with chunky riffs, throaty vocals and pounding bass. Despite the late hour, they managed to not only get a circle pit going but finished up with an absolutely awesome cover of System of a Down’s Ariels. Getting everyone going for Friday on the main stage, The Darker My Horizon kicked off the first of three sets from them over the weekend showcasing the wealth of material in their back catalogue, including an excellent cover version

of Knocking on Heaven’s Door with the audience unable to resist putting forward their very best Axl Rose impressions. Meanwhile stage two opening act Maxwell Avenue woke up the crowd with their energetic post punk/pop punk vibe.

Rising Yorkshire star Loz Campbell kept things moving with her riff heavy alternative rock vibes. Much props to Alice ABomb, normally to be found providing rhythm guitar, but here filling in on bass duties showing off her incredible versatility. Campbell’s easy wit and on-stage banter easily won over the crowd as did their amazing cover of The Runaways Cherry Bomb.

Energetic Blues Rockers The Jokers managed to restart the party after the building had to be evacuated due to some fire alarm issues. Not only do they win my First Harmonica of the Weekend award, but also special mention goes to their incredible cover of Pinball Wizard which had the crowd singing along. While over on the second stage, Bradford based doom metallers Son of Boar put on a stonking set of thunderous riffs and Pantera-esque vocals.

Then it was up to Gypsy Pistoleros to maintain their reputation as The Best Glam Punk Band Ever with a storming set of tunes including latest single, The Ballad of Tommy Murphy and what the band say will be a one-time only cover of Dexy’s Midnight Runners’ Eileen based on a previous reviewer’s (not I, I hasten to add) comments about them. Meanwhile, Staffordshire classic rockers Bang Bang Firecracker kept the audience’s spirits high with upbeat, riff-heavy tunes including a crowd-pleasing Motörhead cover.

Fan favourites, Crashdiet took to the stage, the crowd, the VIP area, the rafters and indeed anywhere frontman Gabriel Keyes could make his way to in his attempt to prove that the venue was in no way large enough to contain him. It’s easy to see why these Swedish glam rockers have such a following with their high energy performance, glorious riffing and impressive vocals quite literally tearing the roof off the place. As over on the second stage, The Darker My Horizon closed things out in style with their second set of the weekend.

Continuing with thematic resonance, Finnish Sleaze Rock/ Glam Metal outfit Reckless Love arrived sharply dressed, co-ordinated and ready to rock. Peacemaker fans were treated early on to a rendition of Monster from their fourth album InVader which featured on the show. As well as a phenomenal cover of Bark at the Moon and finishing up the second night of the event with the anthemic Beautiful Bomb rousing all the crowd into a singalong frenzy before the final bows.

Saturday showcased some of the finest new and classic thrash metal bands on the planet as well as more than a few surprises. Hollow Crown blasted out of the gates onto the main stage with brutal riffs and throaty vocals sang through a baseball bat styled mic stand firing up the crowd for the day ahead. As Spring Break heroes, The Darker My Horizon put in their final performance of the weekend to a packedout room, proving how many fans they have made over the weekend with their melodic hard rock stylings.

Diamond Black, fronted by Sisters of Mercy guitarist, Ben Christo engaged the audience with an impressive set of epic cinematic rock tunes including new single, Through The Misery, the anthemic The Scarlet and set closer Sorrow. Giving voice to a lot of the pressures and issues we have all faced both during and post-pandemic, Diamond Black are definite-

ly one to check out if you’ve not heard them before.

Given that they include songs about quantum physics in their set, it’s unsurprising that iconic thrash metallers Lawnmower Deth turn in the highest song to time ratio of the weekend, cramming in more songs per minute than seems humanly possible. With tracks like Egg Sandwich clocking in at around fifteen seconds and offsetting cerebral themes with songs about bastards and hilarious between track segments, they easily turn in one of the most entertaining and enjoyable performances of the weekend.

Continuing in the same vein, legendary thrash metal outfit, Xentrix, blew up the main stage with the biggest drum setup of the weekend so far. Harmonic power solos, chunky riffs and colossal choruses pepper a set full of brutal bangers including Black Embrace from their 1990 album, For Whose Advantage and the epic Everybody Loves You When You’re Dead from the latest album Seven Words.

Lively thrash metallers Acid Reign wasted no time with frontman Howard “H” Smith getting into the middle of the crowd during their second number and starting off a circle pit while performing a running Wall of Death across the monitors at the front of stage. They continued to bolster the crowd resulting somewhat surprisingly in some of the first crowd surfers of the weekend. Their cover of Hanging on the Telephone was both hilarious and impressive in its execution. Swedish Melodic Death Metal outfit Dream Evil gave us the penultimate set of the weekend. Turning in an incredible selection of tunes from their various studio albums including The Book of Heavy Metal which had horns and hands waving throughout the venue.

From the opening quotes from Transformers: The Movie, the onstage props and sets and the opening strains of The Touch it was clear that headliners Evil Scarecrow were going to be something different and special. They did not disappoint. With songs steeped in 80’s pop culture including a segment with a giant, inflatable karate man and an audience member attempting to catch a giant fly on a string with oversized chopsticks it’s incredibly clear that this is a band who know how to embrace fun in their performance. Unafraid to incorporate props and costumes, the set included aliens, antigravity machines, death metal eggs and the evil Crabulon, and was engaging, musically impressive and constantly surprising. A fittingly upbeat, party ending to a wonderfully eclectic weekend as a very happy audience made their way home to the strains of Whitesnake’s Here I Go Again.

Words: Simon Potthast

Photo Credit: Simon Dunkerley

BURNT OUT

Ex Heavy Pettin’ drummer Gary Moat now fronts classic hard rock band Burnt Out Wreck, his own creation where he made the transition from the back of the stage to the front, focussing on lead vocals, songwriting and developing his own style of unpretentious, no nonsense, full on rock and roll with typical Scottish flair. Now, with three albums under their belts and festival appearances booking up for the summer, Gary took some time to chat to Victoria Llewelyn about the band, his history in music and why he loves playing at HRH events!

Gary, you’ve spent over 30 years in the music industry – Heavy Pettin’, Mother’s Ruin and now Burnt Out Wreck. Over that time what are the biggest changes you’ve made and has it always gone to plan?

Burnt Out Wreck, the name, is reflective of how I was feeling back in 2016 when I had the idea for the band! Just myself though, not the rest of the band. It’s a long time to be in any industry. We

recorded our first album in 2016 and haven’t stopped since apart from the lockdown period, gigging and recording pretty continuously.

I’ve been a drummer all my life but if you were to ask my mother were she still alive, she would tell you that as a young child in the late 60s I used to sing into a hairbrush in front of Top of The Pops! I moved on to drums at the age of 9, started hitting pots and pans like every other drummer I reckon, and then decided in the late 80s to go into singing. We had just formed a new band after Heavy Pettin’ finished, I was writing the songs and when I was singing them it was sounding good, so I just carried on.

I realised what had been holding me back all along was that I didn’t want people looking at me. You have to be seen as the singer; people want something to relate to, so I had to quickly get over that, and now I’m hanging off the front of the stage and almost falling into the pit, and I don’t care any more, it’s great!

None of it was especially planned, I haven’t really changed, I stuck to doing what I loved, and this is how it’s turned out.

How would you describe Burnt Out Wreck and where do the band’s influences come from?

I always liked a particular style of music and never deviated from that, really, I appreciate the musicianship within everything but I like the very basic style, with the AC/DC slant. If you go back to my first song on my first Heavy Pettin’ album, a song called Love Times Love, and you compare that with anything I’m writing now you won’t find much difference. It’s straightforward, good time rock and roll, nothing too fancy in there. I can do other things, write other things, but this is the way I like it so why bother?

The albums have done well, people seem to like them, there are trolls of course that say – oh it’s just AC/DC, but I don’t worry about them. Growing up I loved bands like Queen, Status Quo and Bad

OUT WRECK

Company, anyone with that classic rock sound. I’ve never strayed from that, and it comes out in the music I’ve always written.

‘Stand And Fight’ came out in December last year, are you working on any new music at the moment?

I’ve always got something going on in my head! The next album won’t be this year, probably 2024 when I can get back in the studio again. We have a lot of festivals lined up this summer, plus some of our own gigs up and down the country so we’re going to focus on that. We’re supporting Geoff Tate one night of his tour, we got his attention at a festival we both played in Scotland last year. He came on and we went out and sang every song standing in the middle of the crowd – that’s what you do when Geoff Tate comes on, right? So, to jump on the tour is a fantastic opportunity for us. The new music will happen in time, but nothing’s been written yet.

With the band coming from all over the

UK this must present a few issues when it comes to rehearsing and gigging. How do you manage this?

We don’t, really! We went out to do a rehearsal in Glasgow a couple of months back and Paul, our drummer, couldn’t get there so I ended up singing and playing drums that day. I’ve had two hip replacements and I was in agony afterwards, but I still really enjoyed it. It’s an issue for a lot of bands, everyone’s from all over. To an extent it’ll be – let’s just plug in and go, but we need to get tight again before we start gigging in June. If you love rock and roll, you’ll always find a way.

You have appearances booked in at many of the big festivals for the summer, there’ll be lots of opportunity for fans to see you. How are you feeling about coming back to the HRH stage again this year?

Our association with HRH started in 2013 when we were Mother’s Ruin, we went on the Ibiza Road Trip. I was playing rhythm guitar then; we went for a laugh and to

see how we got on and we had a great time! We gigged in the Rock Club and then did an acoustic set in this place on the beach front the following day which was a great success. Rest of the time we got drunk in the sunshine!

As Burnt Out Wreck we played in 2018 and 2019, and then last year we played Sleaze. We did a couple in Wales too, once on the main stage the year UFO were playing. That was amazing, just fantastic. We went on about 1.30pm and the room was packed, wall to wall, and it’s a big room. Maybe 1000, 1500 people out there. That’s really what HRH is great for, getting the crowd in and keeping them in, no one wandering off halfway, everyone’s attention is on the stage. We really look forward to it.

Words: Victoria Llewleyn Photo Credit: Press Supplied

Glam rock legends Madam X are presently working on a new album that has been a long time in the making. Perhaps you could say all good things come to those who wait. The US-based quartet will be returning to our UK shores in 2024 to play at HRH AOR X.

So far this year things are going well for the band. “We’re off to a good start, I’ll tell you that. It’s going to be a busy year for both bands, Vixen and Madam X,” says Roxy Petrucci. “We are both releasing new music. I don’t know when Madam X is releasing the album. We’re still putting the finishing touches on it. We may even add another song or two because we want to.” Maxine adds: “We’re taking our time recording that album. We want it to be great. We don’t want to be pushed into a deadline. It’s all about the music.” Lead vocalist Bret Kaiser explains: “We don’t like to rush things. We want it to be, so that we like it.”

The group are presently geographically dispersed across the USA. “It’s a very, three-way kind of thing. Those guys are over in Michigan. I’m in Arizona, our producer is in Sweden. Everybody does their thing, and then we throw it at Chris Laney, and he is putting it together. But from what we’ve heard so far, it’s amazing,” explains Bret.

Speaking about the album Chris Doliber confirmed that the band’s producer made it known that he was open to working with Madam X. “He expressed an interest in producing our next record,” explains Chris. “I said, do you have any credits to your name? And he said, well, I think he said, 16 or over a couple of dozen platinum awards, some multi-platinum. I thought, well, that’s more than I bargained for.”

The band have been overjoyed with how their album is developing thus far. “When I listen to what he gives us back. As far as we’ll record and then he’ll do a quick mix of it. I get the same feeling when I hear our music coming back as when I first heard Pyromania, Hysteria, and Back in Black by AC/DC, that kind of like, oh my god. The dimension, the depth, the production, the hooks, it just sounds like big rock,” explains Doliber. He adds: “It’s got a very 80s sound to it. But it sounds really fresh.”

With bands like Def Leppard and Motley Crue currently touring stadiums across

the globe, there is certainly still demand for this style of music. “I can tell you just from the live shows just from touring. We’re playing with bands like Slaughter, Great White, Skid Row and Kip Winger. And these places are selling out,” explains Roxy. “We’re talking theatres, we’re talking festivals. So, there’s still a demand. It’s our generation, and they’re bringing their kids. We are getting 19and 20-year-olds, and 30-year-olds, it’s just I think that music resonates because it was positive, big and fun. You leave, and you just feel exhilarated. And that’s not going away.”

Madam X are taking their fans for a walk down memory lane. “It’s like a time machine. It brings you back to that time when you were really into the music. And it’s like, oh, my God, I feel like I’m back in the 80s,” says Bret. “Especially with us, over the years, each person just got better and better and better and better. So now, we’ve still got that feel from We Reserve The Right. When we’re together, it’s like the magic is there.” Roxy adds: “Even when we’re apart. Let’s say we get together, six months later, we get into a rehearsal room. It just comes right back together. We haven’t lost that chemistry, it’s always going to be there no matter what.”

Madam X recorded their seminal debut album We Reserve The Right with Rick Derringer in 1984. “We recorded that whole album in one week,” said Maxine. “That’s the beauty of it. We didn’t overanalyse the songs or anything. We went in there and we just played. I think that’s why it resonates with everybody because that’s really who we are. And we played those songs a million times. So, I think that’s why to me it worked.”

Following a long hiatus, the original line-up of Madam X returned to the stage at Sweden Rocks Festival in 2014. Recollecting that show, Maxine said: “It still felt like the same as it did in the 80s. We got that same feeling, that vibe, the energy, the way we play off each other, everything felt the same.” Roxy adds: “The hunger is still there. We’re still driven. We still love what we do, even 30 years later.”

Regrouped, reinvigorated and with a new album to boot, Madam X will arrive in the UK in 2024. “We are very excited to come back to the UK,” confirms Chris. The band recollect performing at one of London’s iconic venues. “The Marquee.

Oh, that was fun,” recalls Maxine. “It was with Motorhead, Magnum and Lords of the New Church,” said Bret. “I mean, the crowd was dressed wilder than we were,” adds Roxy.

“I remember when we did The Marquee, people flew in from Japan,” says Bret. “And it was sold out in half an hour, and they had to turn away like so many people.” Maxine declares: “Ozzy was at that show, and Jake E Lee and Sharon Osbourne.” Brett recalls that: “People were following us asking for autographs. I think we were eating at Burger King, and they were taking pictures. It was wild man.”

Bret adds: “It was quite often there was a Kerrang Cover. Malcolm Dome showed us so much love. It was thanks to people like that who helped Madam X be Madam X”. He concludes: “I think it’s notable also to say that out of all the bands that you interview, we are all original members. We’re still alive. We still feel great.”

Madam X will perform at HRH AOR X in Great Yarmouth between 7th – 10th March 2024. For ticket information and further details please visit: https:// hrhaor.com/.

Words: Adam Kennedy

Photo Credit: Mark Weiss

It’s been a busy year for Jackie Chambers. The Girlschool and Syteria guitarist will be releasing albums with both of her respective projects this year. Jax, as she is known by her friends and fans will be also performing with Girlschool at HRH Road Trip in Ibiza.

Syteria are presently gearing up to release their new album Syteria World in the summer. The band were running a crowdfunding campaign in support of the release and subsequently smashed their targets in no time at all. “We’ve got some amazing supporters, and they are very generous as well. People follow us all over the country, and you can’t ask for more than that can you? They are so loyal and so enthusiastic. There are some amazing supporters, it’s really cool. They will like this album, I’m sure they will because if they like It Hit Me, Pause for Peace, and Monsters they’re on there already. And of course, another eight,” she says. “So, there’s 12 songs and a bonus track.”

SYTERIA

“We released three singles last year because when we released Reflection, it was the worst time in the world. It was the 21st of February 2020. The lockdown was a month after,” she says. “We went out to tour in the UK, as usual. And we were doing lots of gigs. Because of COVID happening, people were buying tickets and not coming because they were too frightened. And it was like, wow, this is amazing. We had to cancel the last two or three I think, because the clubs said we’ve been asked to close down. So, it was just horrible. So that was a lesson for us. We had just spent all this money on PR and on magazine advertisements, and the usual things you do when you bring out a new album. And all these interviews that nobody ever heard,” explains Jackie.

The band’s experiences from their latest album resulted in a change of thought heading into their upcoming release. “We decided we would do singles in case it happened again,” explains Jackie. “So, we did It Hit Me, Monsters and Pause For Peace, and another one. Then we

thought, well, we’ve got four songs done already. We’ll just go in the studio, and we went in this March and recorded the other eight.”

As a band, Syteria’s approach towards songwriting has evolved with each album. “The first couple of albums, I guess I generally wrote most of the songs myself because the reason I put the band together in the first place was because I had so many songs that we weren’t doing with Girlschool. I thought well, I might as well showcase this element to my personality, this pop/rock, punk stuff on the other side. The first album Rant O Bot was mostly my songs. I think there was one of Keira’s and me and Julia wrote one together. Then Reflection, Julia put one forward and Pablo put one forward. So again, there’s ten of mine and two for the band.”

This time around Jackie had two albums to write for simultaneously. “This time, obviously I was writing a lot with Girlschool for that album as well. So, I said

SYTERIA

come on, you’ve got to put more ideas in. I’m not saying don’t write, please write. If you don’t bring anything to the table, we can’t put it in. So, they all started writing,” explains Jax. “I think Steph and Julia wrote together. Pablo gave me a drum track, and I wrote a song around that. I mean, most of them we’ve done on our own. I think there’s five or six of them on there that are mine.”

Jackie adds: “We get a full demo with the drums and bass because we all don’t play everything. So, we just put the drums, bass, guitars and vocals and all the harmonies on there and then just present it. And then obviously when we get to rehearsals, we just bash it out and it just comes out. We tend to change the harmonies to something more natural to ourselves because we’re all quite natural to harmonies. And then yeah, it just turns into a Syteria song. So, however, it starts off, it always ends up sounding like a Syteria song.”

One of Syteria’s recent singles, It Hit Me

has been in Jackie’s repertoire for some time. “Well, that’s funny. I wrote that in 1993. So, I was still married. I’ve done it with about three or four bands. My ex-husband was playing bass on it because he was in Heat Wave and stuff. So, we played really funky. And I’d written a song and he just put a bassline over the top of it. And a few bands I’ve played with did it. And it was just one of those songs that’s quite catchy and it’s kind of punky as well,” she says. “Lyric wise it’s about, it hit me that you are missing me as much as I’m missing you on a breakup. It’s like, don’t tell me you’re not missing me, because I know you are - that type of song. When you’re young, you write about that kind of stuff.”

Earlier this year, the guitarist extraordinaire was out on the road on a co-headline tour with Girlschool and Alcatrazz. “It was great. There were eight shows,” says Jackie. The tour was built around the band’s date at the Underworld in Camden, which had originally been due to take place a couple of years back but

was cancelled due to several members of the touring party catching COVID at the time. “This year, it was the first gap we had where we could all make it because obviously, the Alcatrazz guys are from America. So, to bring them over for one show would have been ridiculous. So, we booked another six or seven shows around it and just played the old favourites.”

Jackie adds: “So yeah, it’s been good fun. We are planning to go to South America in September. So, we’ve already started booking that, so that’s being booked as we speak.”

You can see Jackie Chambers performing with Girlschool at HRH Road Trip in Ibiza. The new Girlschool album WTFortyfive will be released on July 28th. The new album from Syteria, titled Syteria World will be released shortly after. The official release date of the latter is to be confirmed.

Words & Photo Credit: Adam Kennedy

DEVILDRIVER

Groove metal kings Devildriver recently made their triumphant return with the second part of their Dealing With Demons saga. Once again produced and engineered by Steve Evetts, with additional engineering from guitarist Mike Spreitzer, Dealing With Demons Vol. II is inarguably heavier and relentlessly harsher than its predecessor.

Devildriver recently travelled across the US on a co-headline tour with Cradle of Filth. Speaking about the experience guitarist Mike Spreitzer said: “It was one of the most relaxing and fun tours I’ve done since I joined this band. It was really nice having Miller back,” he says. “It was always in my mind, have I gotten accustomed to being at home and sleeping in my own bed? Being able to go and surf whenever I want and not having to leave my fiancée and family. Was I going to get out on tour, and it wasn’t going to feel as fun and comfortable as it did pre-pandemic.” Of course, life on the road can be challenging after a long period at home. “I was always like, what is it going to feel like when I’m sleeping in the bus? But, as soon as I got there, immediately, it felt comfortable and felt familiar.”

Devildriver enjoyed life on the road with their touring counterparts. “Everybody in Cradle of Filth was cool. Everyone had a good crew,” he says. “It was just fun, and I easily could have done another three or four weeks out on this run.”

That being said, the band were dipping their toes in the water once again as they re-entered the touring world. “We wanted to make it short, just to see how things went. Because those were our first times back, and then on top, it took a lot of weeks of preparation getting Davier and Alex up to par with all the songs. As well as Miller, who hadn’t been in the band for 13 years. We had a solid six days of rehearsal, being in there for 12 to 14 hours. But it all came together. I was very happy in the long run. I’m very excited about getting out on the road again.”

Devildriver are presently getting ready to release the second part of their Dealing with Demons album. Although the project itself was completed several years prior. “Everything for Dealing with Demons musically was recorded, by September of 2018 including Volume Two. Volume One and Two were recorded

all at the same time. We did 20 songs, and Dez finished vocals in February or March of 2019,” explains Mike. “So, from our perspective, this album goes back a long way and almost seems old. I’ve been sitting with the songs for four to five years.”

Despite lockdown introducing logistical challenges with regard to both recording and touring, the Devildriver guitarist was in a fortunate position. “As far as creativity during the pandemic, I am one of those people that I can build for the possibility of a lockdown. I’ve got a recording studio in my house. I can be in here all day every day and not get bored. Everything got shut down. And just from my point of view, it was like, well, this sucks, but life goes on. And I’m grateful that I have a hobby, and a way of life that I could just go into my studio, pick up a guitar and be entertained all day long. It was very easy for me.”

The first volume of the Dealing with Demons double album was released during the pandemic in 2020. But did the band think at any point about holding off on the release until they could go out and promote the album on the road? “The

DEVILDRIVER

wheels were already in motion, as far as the release of the first volume, but Dez and I talked about the second volume, and both agreed that it would be best to hold off on releasing volume two until we can actually go out on tour and promote it properly,” said Mike. “We didn’t want our fans to think that we’re just going away. The album was done, it was mixed, it was mastered and ready to go. And it was a big blessing for us because we had recorded a double record. So, it’s like, why not put out the first volume now? Because life sucks, the world’s upside down. And sometimes music is a good cure for a lot of things. So, we put out the first volume and just decided to hold off on the second volume. I think originally, we were going to release them six months apart.”

With three years between the release of the two parts of the double album, the band have waited until some semblance of normality has returned within the music world. “I’m glad we waited. There was a surplus of bands going out when everything opened up, and everyone had these strict COVID protocols that everyone had to abide by. And by the time we hit the road, we didn’t have to

worry about that,” confirms Mike.

However, did the band always want to make a double album or did it happen organically? “We wanted to do a double record from the very beginning, even before a single note was written,” explains Mike. “Dez always his whole life even since he was in Coal Chamber, he’s always wanted to do a double record. And I was not against the idea. I love being in the studio. It was just me, Neil and Austin writing the music at the time. They are some of my favourite people to write with. We had a great time and we had zero arguments. Steve Evetts is one of my favourite producers to work with. He’s great and a lot of fun to be with.”

The sound on the second volume of the double record has been described as heavier than that of its predecessor. “When we finished the record, the songs were divided up between one and two. I think it was just kind of by coincidence that songs like Wishing, and a few of the other more mellow songs just ended up fitting in that group of songs, and some of the heavier ones just coincidentally, we’re left to Volume Two. Which I think is a good order of things. I think it’d be

smarter to have the second one be a little bit more in your face than the first one. So, in the eyes of the listener, it’s growing in intensity as they’ve listened,” said Mike.

But when can the UK-based Devildriver fans see the band on this side of the pond? “I’m hoping next year we can get to Europe. I really miss touring Europe. I used to prefer touring the States many years ago. But now that we’ve gotten a little bit bigger, playing nicer venues, and can afford a better bus and be able to keep in touch with the wives and girlfriends back home easier with cell phones, not costing $1 a minute to talk to anybody, it’s made touring over there much easier. And I prefer touring Europe more than I enjoy touring the States,” he says. “Your architecture over there is far superior to everything that we have in the United States. Everything is older, there’s more history there and just more eye candy. I really enjoy being in Europe. I love it over there. I’m hoping sometime next year, we’ll get back over there.”

Dealing With Demons Vol. II, the new album from Devildriver, is out on 12th May 2023, via Napalm Records.

Words by Adam Kennedy Photo Credit: Jeremy Saffer

PHOTO GALLERY BY SIMON DUNKERLEY

HRH Mag’s Viki Ridley caught up with LA based artist Zach Kibbee to discuss his career, UK tour and forthcoming plans.

Mr Zach Kibbee, thank you from taking some time out of your busy tour schedule to talk. You are currently doing a run of 2 weeks straight, with Steven Jackson providing drums and percussion (Heartbreak Remedy, Chris Holmes Mean Man Band) Do you enjoy life on the road?

Hey Viki! Thank you for having me and for letting ramble a bit (and hopefully arrive at the answers to your questions) in your wonderful magazine!

Life on the road is a mixed bag, I’d say. There are times of course, that aren’t great - long nights, long drives, lack of sleep, etc. - we’ve all heard those tales, but you can’t beat the feeling of being totally locked in on your instrument due to the nature of touring, or the elation from a great crowd.

As a California kid, have you always been surrounded by music and the arts?

I’ve been singing since before I can remember. My mom is a big fan of the Eagles so my earliest memories in the car included singing along to Hell Freezes Over, their reunion album in the early 90s. But, I actually grew up with sports surrounding my life. I’m a huge baseball fan, played it until I couldn’t, and I played basketball and (American) football as well growing up. I didn’t really become interested in music until about 14 years old. I wanted to be an architect or an actor when I was young.

What drove you to becoming a musician and songwriter and, which came first? Who was, or is, your muse?

I loved learning songs when I was just getting started. It was like a puzzle for me trying to figure out WHY songs worked the way they did, and HOW to make a song sound a certain way. I definitely started writing songs straight away, within days of picking up a bass! Currently, I’d say that honesty is my muse. I’ve been inspired to write exactly what I’m feeling lately, rather than creating stories with characters in my mind and playing out their fates. My new album Faking Light is an incredibly honest album where I’m constantly expressing my feelings, fears and emotions.

I know that music is a career for you, but, I am aware that writing and performing, whether it be as part of a band or solo, isn’t your only job. How did you become involved in creating music for games and TV series such as Lucifer?

It’s such a long story but I’ll try to do a condensed version. A friend of mine showed me a song of his that was going to be on a TV show and it blew my

mind! I never even thought about that being a thing, in my mind it was only famous songs on TV shows and movies! I was like “How did you do that?!?” He told me about a friend of his that worked in music licensing, and I asked him what they were looking for. He replied - bluesy rock, basically the music I was writing at the time. We did a few songs, he sent them in to what is now my music licensing company, and about a year and a half later I was able to quit my job because of it.

Can you describe how different it feels to create music for yourself, as part of a band, or when commissioned to write for a focussed project? How do these processes differ?

To me, writing music is fun any which way you do it! Of course I love writing my songs and producing them the way I see fit, but it’s really fun to step outside of my own style and create songs for things like Scooby Doo or ads that need something specific. When I write for myself there is no limitation on anything, which can be overwhelming or freeing depending on my headspace. Specifically though, with Faking Light it was very freeing because I had such a focused concept for the overall feel of the records. It’s usually a much different experience writing for a specific movie or commercial. They usually give examples of styles or ideas on how the song should sound - “upbeat” or “fun” or “dark” etc. It’s a bit more in a box so to speak, but still so fun, sometimes more so!

You and I are old friends now, our first meeting was when you were working with Bullets and Octane, which feels like a long time ago now… Who were you collaborating with prior to that time?

Yeah it’s been a minute! I was actually in two separate projects with Gene and Felipe at the time, one being my solo music and the other being a group called The Brave Ones. I had met Gene through my close friend and early-on producer Joseph Holiday when I needed a drummer for my new solo project and we’d been playing together doing those groups before Bullets kicked back up in 2017.

If you could write and create with anyone, past or present, who would this be and can you explain why? This might be the hardest question I’ve ever had to answer. Seriously, well done! I’d probably have to go with John Lennon. I feel like I have more pop-sensibility in my writing - like Paul, so it would be interesting to see what John and I could do together.

You have a very distinctive vocal range and I’ve heard you sing classic rock AOR, grunge, and falsetto. Your version of She’s So High (Tal Bachman) on your new release, Faking

Light, is a huge sound. When you are writing for you, what vocal do you hear, or is it the melody or lyrics that come first?

Thank you for the great compliment! Coming from you, a music aficionado, that really means a lot! It’s probably all of them at different points. Sometimes I have a lyric, sometimes a melody, sometimes just chords and vibe. I don’t usually focus on how I’d sing a part, soft or aggressive because the music usually tells me how I should sing it. For my new album, I was going for a “live” feel and vibe. The hardest thing to do on an album is capture the essence of the live show. One of the ways I tried to achieve that on Faking Light was by singing single takes of vocal performances, without cuts. You can hear it on the lead track Baby, Have No Fear how I’m a bit winded at times.

Leading us to Faking Light, which you recently showcased at The Viper Room in West Hollywood, this album is your first release since Life In Low Fidelity in 2020. This time you’re able to play the songs in front of a live audience that can stand up and dance and sing your lyrics back to you! How great did it feel to feel that connection again?

It’s been simply unbelievable! I love the recording process but nothing compares to the thud of the kick in your chest or buzzing bass at your feet from the subs and the cheering crowd. I wish everyone could experience that feeling. Pure joy is as close as I can get to describing it.

I know that the rest of your year is a busy one, and, you’re about to get married. Congratulations and huge best wishes from the HRH Family. What is next for you Zach, will we see you back in the UK anytime soon or are we going to see your name in the credits of a new project?

Thank you so much, I’m excited for that day to come! I’m definitely a blessed person to be living the life I have and I’m thankful for it everyday. Beyond that, there are new music videos in the works, and plans for a UK tour in early November to go along with a certain music festival happening then, you may know the one! As far as TV and film credits, I can’t really say at this time but I’m staying busy with it.

Thank you so much for having me Viki, can’t wait to see you again and have a peanut butter shot! Cheers!

Words by Viki Ridley

Photo Credit: Simon Dunkerley

ZACHARY KIBBEE

REVIEWSLive

BETH HART O2 CITY HALL, NEWCASTLE

It goes without saying that the international touring circuit has been a challenging environment in recent years. With both covid and logistical challenges impacting the ability for musicians to take to the road. So much so, that the patrons at Beth Hart’s recent Newcastle concert had a hold of their tickets for almost three years due to rescheduling.

However, the day finally arrived for Beth Hart to make her eagerly anticipated Tyneside return. A show that promised to be a special evening. But turned out to be even more special for Beth. Arriving on stage, the artist declared that earlier in the day herself and her husband Scott had renewed their wedding vows. Subsequently, Beth was beaming. With love in the air, she performed a wonderful solo rendition of More Than You’ll Ever Know, which concluded with a hug and a kiss from Scott himself.

By the second song of the evening, Beth ventured out into the packed auditorium as she meandered her way around the hall whilst singing the classic Delicious Mistake. A rare treat indeed so early in the evening.

Beth Hart’s last studio album was a Tribute to Led Zeppelin, and as such, it didn’t take long before the artist rocked out with a triumphant medley of When the Levee Breaks, which was segued into Dancing Days. Hart recognised that when performing such tracks in the UK, she is on hallowed ground, so to speak. Zeppelin themselves played on the very same stage back in 1972.

One factor that separates Beth Hart from the rest of her peers is the artist’s ability to transition between genres effortlessly. Whether Beth is performing hard rock, blues, jazz, or soul Hart can make the leap between musical styles with ease. That becomes apparent when shortly after the Led Zeppelin numbers, Beth switched things up with a spellbinding airing of Melody Gardot’s Your Heart Is as Black as Night.

Hart sings with so much passion and intensity throughout the show. She is perfectly happy sitting behind her piano for several numbers of the set, including Rub Me for Luck, Try A Little Harder and the astounding Bad Woman Blues.

Beth never holds back; she speaks openly and honestly throughout the show. Nothing is sacred or off bounds. But family plays a huge part, not only in the artist’s repertoire but also as a topic of conversation during the evening.

There are many highlights throughout the evening, but a showstopping rendition of My California is certainly one of those.

Beth’s versatility knows no bounds. A stripped-back acoustic segment is a testament to this. Beth and the band really take tracks like Sugar Shack, and Baby Shot Me Down back to basics and even jam them out a little.

Heading into the final stages of the main set, Hart performed a beautiful airing of Lullaby of the Leaves. Proving that there are a few artists who could cover Led Zeppelin, Melody Gardot and Ella Fitzgerald during a single set; and not only do them justice but make it work.

Beth concluded the set with her take on John Prine’s Angel from Montgomery. Perhaps one of the most beautiful songs of all time, and a track which was also performed by the legendary Bonnie Raitt. The result is a standing ovation.

A two-song encore featuring a further dose of Led Zeppelin via No Quarter and Babe I’m Gonna Leave you brought the show full circle. Whilst a rare performance of I’d Rather Go Blind was the cherry on top of a wonderful evening of music.

Those in attendance would all agree that this show may have been three years in the making, but it was certainly worth the wait.

Words & Photo Credit: Adam Kennedy

NOCTURNAL BLOODLUST JAPAN

HRH Mag’s Arta Gailuma brings us a glimpse of the formidable metal scene in Japan.

On a rainy spring evening a long queue was building up in front of Spotify O-West, located in Shibuya- western part of Tokyo known as a centre for youth fashion and culture. They were all there to see Nocturnal Bloodlust (aka Nokubura), a household name in Japan’s heavy metal scene, on the last date of “The Impulse” tour.

Born in 2009 in Tokyo the metalcore/ deathcore band is known for being super energetic, loud and playing aggressive riffs mixed with amazing melodies. Tonight, was not an exception to that. Large part of the setlist was, of course, coming from the latest album “Argos” (out on 04.05.2022) which was band’s first full length release in almost eight years and also the first with the new line-up.

Over the years Nokubura have transformed from being very visual into musically complex and are shifting with ease between genres. Not a new concept to Nocturnal Bloodlust’s compositions - the use of intro tracks is a great way to build up anticipation. The evening started with the intro track “The Devastated World” transforming

into the first full composition of the album - “Red Soil”.

Lead singer Hiro in full frontman style was enthralling the crowd with his impressive set of lungs while guitarist Valtz performing some impressive acrobatics; bassist Masa and guitarist Yu-taro spinning and jumping while thrashing the guitar and Natsu hiding behind the drum kit was a real powerhouse. Hiro and Masa were chatting to fans in between the songs and the encouragement for crowd participation did not fall on deaf ears.

It has been a while since I have seen the entirety of the venue fist pumping and the whole front row of fans gripping tightly the metal railing of the barrier and headbanging in full power. Emotions run high and great atmosphere was in the air!

The main part of the set finished with Venom - a brutal piece perfect for a moshpit, coming from 2013’s “Omega”EP, but everyone already knew there will be more to come. And after awhole 10 minutes of fans screaming “Encor-e, Encor-e” the night continued with four tracks after which to everyone’s delight band came back on stage one more time and the show finished with V.I.P and A Day To Remember. A great night from start to the end!

Words and Photos by Arta Gailuma

BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE O2

CITY HALL, NEWCASTLE

It’s hard to believe that Bullet For My Valentine are presently celebrating their 20th anniversary as a band. The group have been celebrating this musical milestone out on the road across Europe.

What’s more to add to the occasion the group bring with them in tow heavyweight touring counterparts by way of Atreyu and Ukranian power metalers Jinjer.

With so much to pack into the evening, an early start saw Atreyu take to the stage shortly after the doors opened. The room packed to the hilt as the US outfit got the proceedings underway. The group proved that they weren’t just there to make up the numbers with frontman Brandon Saller in the crowd by the second song of the set firing up the audience.

Songs like Drowning and a mosh pit inducing rendition of Battle Drums really hit the spot. Whilst the band teased the audience with a few bars of Whitney Houston’s I Wanna Dance With Somebody. They promised if the fans would allow the band to return on their own tour, they would come back to play the full song, but only time will tell. A fierce rendition of Blow which came complete with a middle finger salute brought Atreyu’s phenomenal opening set to a close.

Sitting in the middle of the bill, Jinjer requires little introduction. The group performed a headline date at Newcastle University just adjacent to tonight’s venue shortly before the pandemic. The band’s return to Tyneside was certainly welcome.

Bedecked in a startling illuminous outfit and matching eye makeup lead vocalist Tatiana Shmailyuk had a commanding presence over the audience. The singer effortlessly switched between guttural growls and angelic clean vocals throughout the band’s performance. Jinjer’s ear shattering rhythms and melodic groove certainly struck a chord with the Newcastle audience. There was little room for on stage conversation, Jinjer preferred to let their music do the talking.

It’s been a long time since Bullet For My Valentine performed in the North East of England. You would have to look back to 2016 for the band’s latest appearance in the region. To say that the show has been eagerly anticipated is an understatement. Fans queued around the block from early in the evening to secure their spot in front of the stage.

Bullet’s latest date on Tyneside is somewhat of an intimate affair. But that didn’t stop the band from bringing with them a full arena production.

As the quartet took to the stage, they started the set ferociously with new track Knives, along with a pair of favourites from their last album Gravity by way of Over It and Piece of Me.

By the time the group reached 4 Words (to Choke Upon) a circle pit began to form in the centre of the room, as Matt Tuck and company whipped the Newcastle crowd into a frenzy.

It’s Friday night in Newcastle and the Geordies have certainly brought their singing voices. The crowd wholeheartedly sing in unison to songs like You Want a Battle? (Here’s A War) and Shatter. Whilst the band performed a track chosen by their fans on social media via Hearts Burst Into Fire. The latter slowed down proceedings momentarily, showcasing a slightly more melodic side to the band’s repertoire.

The Last Fight still sounds as fresh as it did when it was released back in 2010. A fist pumping rendition of the track was one of the many highlights of the show.

There was so much passion and intensity in the room, not only from the band but also from their fans and followers. Chants of Bullet frequently resonated loudly around the room. The quartet sunk their heart and soul into their performance throughout.

The Welsh four-piece concluded the show with Walking The Demon. On the strength of this performance, the Tyneside fans would agree that it may have been a long time since Bullet For My Valentine performed in the North East of England but it was certainly worth the wait.

Words and Photo Credit: Adam Kennedy

TED POLEY / ROB WYLDE / KIM JENNETT ELEVEN, STOKE-ON-TRENT

American Rock legend and vocalist of glam metal group Danger Danger Ted Poley appeared at the iconic rock venue Eleven as the second from last show of his tour. With support from powerhouse Kim Jennett and Midnite City lead singer Rob Wylde this was a perfect night out for all rock lovers.

Kim Jennett opened the evening with an acoustic set packed of covers and was joined onstage with her partner and guitarist Tyler. Kim Jennett has just announced a new band that will be backing her for upcoming performances.

Throughout the set she displayed a mind-blowing vocal range covering some very bold numbers such as Alannah Myles’ Black Velvet, Heart’s Alone and even Stevie Wonder’s Superstitious – all of which were epically portrayed! Kim’s vocal climbs were sensational and even though this was an acoustic set and the opening slot, Kim made this performance totally electric, with it feeling like an arena experience from start to finish. Having seen her a few times there’s one thing I can’t deny, Kim’s talent and passion intertwine for an epically strong performance every time.

Next up was Midnite City star Rob Wylde who performed a variety of unplugged versions of Midnite City’s back catalogue. Although Rob had a dilemma backstage with his straighteners blowing up, he said that he has had “an absolute blast” supporting Poley. Wylde demonstrated a very relaxed set including a unique version of If It’s Over which Rob himself said he “doesn’t normally play acoustically”.

As well as HRH Sleaze later this year, Rob will be reuniting with Midnite City for a UK Tour in June 2023 to celebrate their upcoming album ‘Deep End’.

The time of the night we were all waiting for, Poley took to the stage with the coolest psychedelic trousers and sparkling shoes I’d ever seen, in true rockstar style. Ted’s cheeky whit certainly kept the audience in the palm of his hand to accompany his excellent renditions of some Danger Danger anthems. His team

had announced on social media earlier in the day that unlike his other performances of the tour, he wouldn’t be able to do meet and greet’s after his show due to illness. However, he truly couldn’t help himself when it came to getting emerged into the audience! It went from him asking people to throw him stuff at the front of the stage to sign and throw back to them, to him saying “f*ck it – if you’re okay with me being out there, I will be out there.” – and true to his word, Ted was at the merch stand after his show taking pictures with fans, signing merchandise and talking to everyone that crossed his path – you could see the appreciation was equal on both sides! He had even said earlier in his set that this tour “wasn’t for you to come see me, it was for me to come see and thank each and every single one of you.” Ted’s fan appreciation is definitely next level and a key reason they show up. Ted also said “as long as you keep coming to the show, I’ll keep playing them!”. The shots of southern comfort in-between songs also helped raise his spirt and power through the set.

A special mention must be given to Ted’s guitarist Declan who killed it on the lead guitar runs! Interestingly enough, Ted also mentioned that he has only recently picked up a six-string himself, saying that during lockdown he thought “I’d best learn the guitar and taught the old dog a new trick!”.

Poley gave a short speech before concluding the night, saying “Thank you for making my dream come true, I’m 60 years old and I’m doing my dream job. Sing as loud as you can cause my voice is leaving the building.” With fans coming as far as New Jersey to see the show, Ted made sure it was a gig we would all remember. His final number was a cover of Def Leppard’s Hysteria whilst walking through the audience and fist-bumping each and every one of us.

A natural born frontman with buckets of character – an absolute must see!

As mentioned during his goodbyes, Ted Poley will be hitting the stage for HRH Sleaze 7 in August 2023 with his full electric band, alongside Midnite City, BlackRain and many more! Tickets available via www.hrhsleaze.com

Words: Charlotte Hooper Photo Credit: Simon Dunkerley

MASSIVE WAGONS / THE VIRGINMARYS SCALA, LONDON

British live rock music is back and better than ever. At its heart are a couple of bands who are the most hard-working, passionate and entertaining musicians on the scene right now. Lancastrian rockers Massive Wagons and Macclesfield duo, The Virginmary’s who are both halfway through their ‘Triggered Tour’ and due to the amount of buzz around - this set of gigs is a total sell-out. Buzzing for this dynamic duo of bands, we join hundreds of others who’ve packed the legendary Scala Venue in Kings Cross for a doozy of a double headliner.

The VMs are one of the most honest, innovative, and energetic bands in Britain - how a 2 piece can make more noise than a whole orchestra of musicians is beyond me. A huge crowd has already arrived early to experience the Virginmary’s that is Ally Dickaty on guitar/vox and Danny Dolan on drums.

Whether they are headlining or not, the VMs will rock your socks off. These guys sure know how to create and perform bold, relevant hardcore rock songs.

Tonight’s setlist kicks off with one off their latest anthem ‘The Meds’ and instantly the crowd are in it and singing along. This song is manic, genius and catchy, we the fans are pulsing with energy and enjoyment - even my photographer, Eric Duvet, is getting in on the act.

Once again, taped up like Tyson Fury and about to do battle, Dolan is a heavy hitter, clearly visible with his drum kit fully up front on stage, we get the full-on drumming experience we expect from this sticksman. Danny is on fire being fueled by us the fans, tub-thumping and often standing over his drums, smashing his cymbals - leaving the audience in awe.

Tight as anything, up next is the truly classic ‘Portrait of Red’. Followed by Lies Lies Lies. As a reviewer, I don’t normally forget what I’m doing - but how could I not with this well-constructed setlist? Mind blown with the sheer electricity this duo delivers.

Frontman Ally Dickaty could literally sing the phone book with his uniquely Macclesfield twang and no-nonsense lyrics. Getting us going with NYC and Motherless Land.

Up next is another classic Devil Keeps Coming. Then it’s time for Just a Ride, followed by Killer. The truly brilliantly crafted Look Out for My Brother.

Where are you Now is next on this short yet stellar setlist.

Giving us a very happy ending, we hear the intro Bang, Bang, Bang which raises the roof of the Scala. An anthem as always to finish a sublime set. As Dolan bashes his kit for the last time, we are left wanting more and can’t wait for the lads to bring us another headline tour. The VirginMary’s smashed it.

Fresh from their hugely successful UK tour with Ugly Kid Joe which was an absolute showstopper, it’s a treat to see the Wagons as we like to call them on a headline tour. The Lancastrian Rockers formed in 2009 when they were literally ‘driving massive wagons’.

One of the UK’S hardest working bands, the brightly coloured dudes are renowned for their honest yet fun lyrics combined with high-energy riffs and beats.

Each track on the setlist is an anthem that is a crowd pleaser and is top heavy from their current best-selling album ‘Triggered’.

Baz explains how ‘TRIGGERED!’ stands out compared to the band’s previous albums: “I think this album is a lot more British sounding. I think we’ve managed to bring our sound more up-todate, it sounds fresh and exciting. It has much more of a punk vibe about it, but, that being said, it’s still full of everything we love about guitar music.”

It’s great to see these songs live and as they walk on stage at the Scala, the crowd go wild - clapping, jumping, and cheering and Mills et al take to the stage. Kicking off with Gone are the Days and of course, their title track Triggered.

Enigmatic frontman Baz Mills is one of the most entertaining singers we’ve seen. His banter and song introductions are up there with the best “I’m knackered after that, why do I write these fast songs”, he says.

Up next is the passionate, very angry yet entertaining Fuck the Haters - we all raise the roof at the Scala ‘hating’ along with the band.

Next on this stellar setlist is a firm fan favourite ‘Asshole’ followed by Sawdust. We are treated to Buck and Hallescrewya - try saying that after a couple of sherries.

The band are so tight, with a huge backline playing good, oldfashioned rock n’ roll; no thrills, honest good time sounds but with a present-day twist.

Crowd favourite and latest Massive Wagons anthem Skateboard’ is another impossibly catchy new song added to their superb setlist. The penultimate song is Ratio and this band have taken us on the ultimate rock n’ roll adventure of Massive Wagons old and new, the energy for a Monday night in London is electric and as the band finish with ‘In it Together’ we all unite for this final anthem.

I’m knackered and the band must be even more knackered! Ten out of ten for a truly huge dose of high-energy rock. The Wagons are still moving as they roll out the rest of this tour. Get your tickets now if they haven’t sold out already.

High-energy rock n’ roll at its best and a double headliner we’ll never forget.

Words: Sara Harding Photo Credit: Eric Duvet

HEARTS AND

Hailing from what some might consider being ‘god’s own rock’n’roll county’that’s spawned its fair share of successful rock groups - Yorkshire’s newest rock band, Hearts & Souls, is releasing their five-track EP, Nights Of My Days, and, as a foretaste of a full album’s worth of songs to come, it promises to shake the bodies and move the minds of listeners who love their music forever trapped in the deep amber glow of 70s rock. Produced by The Quireboys’ Paul Guerin, there’s an intentional raucous live studio feel to this fistful of tracks as genial guitarist and lead singer Luke Smithson details the EP’s backstory: “Many years ago, there was a track I’d done. And I hid it from the people who I was recording with at the time because I really disliked the person who I was recording music with. It wasn’t working out. So, during the lockdown it was quiet, and I thought, right, I’ll do it now. That track ended

up in the hands of The Quireboys Paul Guerin.” Luke takes up the reins of this tale: “There was a Jaguar dealer friend of mine, who repairs Jags, and he said to me ‘You like The Quireboys, don’t you?’ and asked if I would collect Paul to come and get his Jag. So, I went and collected him. It happened by total chance; there was no link to it. I was involved with the recording, and, at the same time, Paul naturally ended up with the track and asked me, ‘What’s this, you’ve done’?” Then fate intervened in a special way as Luke tells me: “I had the musicians there, but obviously couldn’t do anything, go anywhere and play live. It was difficult. When Paul started talking to me, he said ‘Why don’t you just take as long as you need and just get together whatever you’ve got’? And then I ended up in The Quireboys for a brief stint while Griff was away. So, the band - Hearts & Soul - was forming around all of this at the same

time. It started as me wanting to record one track about two and a half years ago and everything else has happened as we have gone along.” Following Luke’s remarks, chance meetings change lives and who would have thought Luke would have fallen into The Quireboys’ ranks on one of their anniversary tours as he further reveals: “I joined to cover the end of the 30th-anniversary tour because Griff wasn’t there. It was on and off for probably six months or something like that. But I never joined as an official member. I did it because things weren’t good there,” he adds, “I don’t remember how many gigs I did, but we went out and we did it.”

Joining in on guitar and vocals, Tom Q Cusic adds more background to H & S’ formation: “Many, many moons ago I had just started on the local circuit and, much to his disappointment, I wouldn’t leave

AND SOULS

Luke alone,” laughs Tom and Luke, “So, we met at one of the venues and ended up getting along and, as these things do, started jamming and we’ve been in and out of bands together for about eighteen years now.” Now together in Hearts & Souls, they plan to go out as a band with Alan Sullivan on bass, Jimmy Milne on drums and Wes Brook on keys firstly at The Waterloo Bar in Blackpool then later at HRH Gt Yarmouth in November. In the meantime, there are plans afoot for more gigs as Luke says: “We’re going to do some in Leeds, and surrounding areas, and we might be doing some maybe with The Quireboys but that’s still not organised as we speak.” Tom adds: “We’re looking at some dates down in London as well, but we’re trying not to do loads and loads of gigs just for the sake of it. Logistically, it’s getting harder for bands, even locally, to get gigs as there are more bands than there are ven-

ues.” With five tracks ready for release on this EP in the Spring, I enquire as to whether there is anything else recorded in the pipeline and to my surprise Luke tells me that they have recorded a new track with a Black Star Rider: “There’s the one that we’ve been doing with Sam Wood called Whispers and we’ve got another three or four written and finished. They’ll eventually be recorded and that takes us somewhere in the region of ten tracks which will give us 45-minute live slots.” With Paul Guerin at the production helm, I’m intrigued as to the overall vibe of the album that he’s captured from these veterans: “ In some respects, we’ve lifted elements of Frankie Miller for the rhythm section of certain tracks,” says Luke, “we’ve got Humble Pie, Steve Marriott and we’ve got early Aerosmith. Everything stays within the 1970s boundaries.” Tom agrees and states: “You can normally tell with a

song which one of us has come up with it because Luke definitely always comes from that sort of big open G honky-tonk tuning. Whereas my playing influences tend to be down the bluesy end a bit like Rory Gallagher. But also, the prog and funky end of things where Luke definitely has to rein me in on occasion.”

The laughter and camaraderie between Luke and Tom reveal themselves in the blend of their musical approach on the five tracks comprising Nights Of My Days EP. In fact, it’s heartening that they and the rest of the band put the full force of their collective heart and soul into this music. I can’t wait to hear the finished album and, in the meantime, witness the onstage chemistry. If it’s anything like this interview, then it’s going to be one helluva fun night!

Words: Paul Davies

Photo Credit: Ben Smith

REVIEWSAlbum

radio and the instant appeal of their full-length debut — Ratt’s tale is anything but.

In fact, Pearcy formed fledgling band Firedome a decade before 1984’s Out Of The Cellar crashed the US album charts in spectacular fashion. Following Firedome, Crystal Pystal and Mickey Ratt became familiar names on the LA circuit but neither really resonated with management, labels or fans.

RATT

THE ATLANTIC YEARS 19841990

If there’s an 80s time capsule buried somewhere beneath West Hollywood’s infamous Sunset Strip then it’s bound to have a version of Ratt sealed within a sickly vacuum of hair spray, stale weed and primitive pyro. Stephen Pearcy’s pretty boy rockers infested LA’s sleazy underbelly prior to their rapid ascension to the pop rock summit.

And if ever a band epitomised the rise and fall of the iconic hair metal scene it’s the quintet that scored four platinum albums on the bounce… before almost disappearing without a trace.

This revealing vinyl retrospective captures classic Ratt in all their glammed-up, gutter-soaked glory. All five of the band’s insanely successful Atlantic Records releases are collected within one carefully curated box but the era-defining music is only part of the story.

Home to a replica tour book, backstage pass, guitar pic, poster and bumper sticker, this long overdue celebration of decadent excess leaves no stone unturned. Hell, there’s even a seven-inch single version of Nobody Rides For Free, from the soundtrack to hit movie Point Break. That soaraway cinematic success, released in 1991, paired rising star Keanu Reeves with housewives’ favourite Patrick Swayze. By then, however, Ratt were neither rising stars nor the housewives’ favourite: theirs was a career in rapid and terminal decline. But like Reeves skimming the crest of a Pacific Ocean wave, what a ride it had been for Pearcy and his hard rocking pals.

Often described as an overnight success — given the short time between the band’s first play on

In 1981 Ratt was born and by tweaking the name, Pearcy paved the way for fame. Joined by twin axe attack Robbin Crosby and Warren DeMartini, one of the most striking frontmen on the LA circuit suddenly looked and sounded the part. And by the time Juan Croucier (who ditched Dokken) and Bobby Blotzer completed Ratt’s classic line-up, the Strip’s resident rodents were ready to take a bite out of the big bucks record deals being bandied about across town.

On the strength of six figure sales for their self-titled EP, the band signed with Atlantic and hooked up with producer Beau Hill. It was a match made in heaven as Out Of the Cellar — fuelled by iconic hit Round And Round — went on to shift three million copies and usher in a period of sustained success Stateside.

That Ratt’s dazzling debut and the band’s subsequent hit albums never quite whetted the appetite of British fans proved a constant source of frustration for Pearcy and Atlantic’s bosses alike. Sophomore album Invasion Of Your Privacy nudged the UK’s top 50 but that was as good as it got for a band mystified by its limited impact across the Pond.

The follow-up to Out Of The Cellar matched its predecessor by peaking at number seven in the Billboard charts. Lay It Down became Ratt’s second top 40 single and heavy MTV rotation caught the attention of Castle Donington’s tastemakers — in 1985 Pearcy and co. performed alongside Metallica, Bon Jovi and headliners ZZ Top in front of the Monsters Of Rock massive. But still us Brits didn’t get it. Widely regarded as Ratt’s tour de force, Invasion Of Your Privacy’s perfectly trimmed 36 minutes showcased the very best of DeMartini and Crosby (who overdosed on heroin aged 42 in 2002) with the talented six stringers duelling across 10 hair metal classics.

Pearcy never sounded better as he belted out You’re In Love, Closer To My Heart and the brilliant Between The Eyes. Ratt had risen and they’d stay at the top for a while yet.

A third album in three years maintained the momentum and Dancing Undercover guaranteed

more of the same from the new masters of hair metal. If Ratt’s tried and tested formula risked accusations of lazy repetition then the band knew its audience and knew what worked: the sexed up Slip Of The Lip and album opener Dance — featured on Miami Vice — kept Pearcy’s poster boys up front and centre. By now rival bands would do anything to bag a slot opening up for West Hollywood’s hottest properties: Poison, Cinderella, Cheap Trick and Queensrÿche all fought for supports on the hugely successful Dancing Undercover tour.

By the time 1988’s Reach For The Sky hit stores, new kids on the block Guns N Roses had upped the ante and Ratt suddenly had it all to do. And they just about did it. Funky single Way Cool Jr. maintained their seat at hair metal’s top table while wrestlers Brian Pillman and Larry Zbyszko picked Don’t Bite The Hand That Feeds and City To City as their respective ring walk themes — broadening the reach of the Ratt pack. Detonator, released in 1990, could and should have been the band’s crowning glory. After finally splitting with producer Hill, Pearcy and co. hired hitmaker Desmond Child to helm their fifth long player and even roped in Jon Bon Jovi as a backing vocalist on Heads I Win, Tails You Lose. At the poppier end of Ratt’s accessible scale, Detonator featured some prime power balladry in the shape of the Diane Warren co-write Givin’ Yourself Away. But even Child couldn’t squeeze out the band’s next big hit. If the dreamy Detonator failed to match the commercial success of its multi-platinum predecessors then it nevertheless bookended a remarkable six-year home run from a band that landed in the right place at just the right time.

Ratt — The Atlantic Years is a joyous reminder of rock’s most flamboyant era. And who doesn’t love a retro-fuelled bumper sticker?

Words by Simon Rushworth

ALCATRAZZ TAKE NO PRISONERS

Under scrutiny with Doogie White taking on frontman duties once occupied with distinction by fellow former Rainbow vocalist Graham Bonnet, Take No Prisoners (get it?) is the third studio release since re-animating with original keys man, Jimmy Waldo, at the helm.

Juddering the speakers with Little Viper and Don’t Get Mad...Get Even, with Girlschool rocking up on backing vocals, this is classy heavy rock of the aural avalanche variety. The tracks continue to rumble and tumble out of this album with Doogie White accentuating a mean mouthed attack that serves him and the songs very well. In keeping with the Rainbow rock family tree thread, the power rock ballad, Strangers, has more than a muscle memory trace of Dio on which guitarist, Joe Stump, delivers a fury with finesse pounding guitar attack.

Gates Of Destiny is their mighty Babylonian epic track, with Jimmy Waldo’s keyboards and Stump’s harmony guitars driving this musical vehicle straight through them. Title track, Alcatrazz, and Holy Roller (Love’s Temple) continues the epic musical journey. Interestingly, the choppy keyboard and chugging guitar motifs on Power In Numbers further reminds of Dio era Rainbow. To close out this ten of the best tunes, Bring On The Rawk, and its hard rock chant and defiant ‘this is not the end’ message, does just what it says on this mighty metal tin of music.

For some they might still be out on parole awaiting further judgement, if so, then this fullon heavy duffer less release should see them break free from any perceived shackles.

Words by Paul Davies

BUCKCHERRY

VOL. 10

Buckcherry are one of those iconic glam-punk/ sleaze-rock bands that just never seem to stop. Lead singer Josh Todd (who became a phlebotomist during the Covid pandemic) first formed the band in 1995. The band went on to release two albums in 1999 and 2001, before dissolving in 2002. Seven years later, Todd resurrected Buckcherry and they have just kept going, proving that anything made with passion will endure.

Vol 10, as the name implies, is Buckcherry’s tenth studio album to date, and is just as hard rocking and bouncy as when the band first formed. Whilst some bands evolve over time, Buckcherry are one of the few groups that remain true to their roots.

Little has changed for Buckcherry; they still play fantastic music and Josh Todd’s vocals remain just as brutally perfect. Their songs often convey a strong sense of longing, underscored by sadness, such as for lost friends and lives cut short. This blend of beauty and despair remains evident in their latest album. Whilst none of the tracks on Vol 10 reach the heights of ‘Crazy Bitch’, there are still some fantastic songs to be found on the album.

Vol 10 feels a little over-produced at times, thus losing some of the rawness of classic Buckcherry. That said, this is a band that always is best to experience live, as their music will be as raw and undiluted as intended.

Words by Peter Ray Allison

WINGER SEVEN

Kip Winger and his deliciously 80s hard rock troupe return with their seventh studio album, ‘Seven’. Whilst on the nose in name Winger’s first release since 2014 is a fine demonstration of time well spent with the twelve-track listing rooting its tendrils with that classic Winger sound atop of some killer modern tinges. Featuring all four original members and new edition John Roth on guitar it’s more a hark back to 90s Winger with the opening track ‘Proud Desperado’ engulfing itself in a heavyset beat with a smattering of post-production features that pushes it out into that wider stadium feel.

Softer numbers ‘Broken Glass’ and ‘Do or Die’ are bookmarked by some fiery tracks that owe themselves to Winger’s head honcho doing what he does best. ‘Resurrect Me’ stands out with a gorgeously crescendoed undertone and a rock chorus backing that only adds to the lead vocals. Though the album still grasps on to what will keep die-hard fans happy there’s a slight deviance into an almost blues-inspired movement with ‘One Light to Burn’ but with always enough hair metal glow within the tones.

In a backwards move, the LP ends with the first released single, ‘It All Comes Back Around’ which is no less a spot-on ending that leaves space for the songwriting to be drawn out above the sound in a pure 80s influence. High energy, higher notes, it may be another good few years before they top this rip-ride of new Winger classics.

Words by Monty Sewell

BURNING WITCHES THE DARK TOWER

Burning Witches cast a spell with their fifth studio album The Dark Tower. Their debut release with Napalm Records is a very impressive piece of work, to say the least. A point proven by ‘Unleash The Beast’ which they certainly do as this beast bares its teeth and claws on wild thrash metal. Riffs are unrelenting, as is the tumultuous drum cavalcade and banshee-delivered lead vocals that precede the opening track ‘Rise of Darkness’, a gently strummed brief intro with an angelic chanted vocal.

Other choice cuts include ‘Renegade, a NWOBHM-tinged pounder that romps and stomps seismically on sturdy riffing and a lungthreshing vocal. The rage doesn’t let go as ‘Evil Witch’ is a raging slab of pit opening thrash that ticks all the boxes from a superhuman drum assault, razor-sharp guitars, and powerfully chanted choruses.

An earworm-tapped guitar intro for ‘World on Fire’ lights the fuse for proto-power metal that hits new levels of brutality in the Armageddon inducing choruses and galloping outro.

‘Tomorrow’ is not just a ballad but a magnum opus that rises and falls on a heartbreaking vocal, laid-back grooves that include soft guitar lines, ending on a hope-giving message. ‘House Of Blood’ is a one-minute spoken word intro to the album title track. A lengthy guitar-heavy grind heads off into thrashtastic verses and chest-beating choruses of “Lock, lock, lock them in the tower”.

‘Doomed To Die’ is a thrilling thrasher to ignite any crowd, a major rager of the highest order and one last assault to our hearing comes from album closer

‘The Lost Souls’. Another kick drum battery pins down rhythms to lose our minds to as it’s like being in the eye of a hurricane, backed by a vocal so evil, it should be exorcised!

Words by Dennis Jarman

ART NATION INCEPTION

This Swedish band from Gothenburg started out in 2014 and after two albums, the 2015 debut ‘Revolution’ and ‘Liberation’ in 2017, the band’s founder members, frontman Alexander Strandell and guitarist Christoffer Borg, parted ways. After the third album in 2019 ‘Transition’, the band took a hiatus, mainly down to Alexander’s health. The good news is that after four years, Art Nation have returned, with Christoffer back on guitar and friendships reaffirmed, they are ready to put past differences behind them and are now stronger than ever.

The first track and initial single ‘Brutal & Beautiful’ swirls in with an electrifying riff from Christoffer. Alexander’s vocals are sharply immaculate, furiously keeping in time with the axe-wielding guitarist, who plays a stunning solo. ‘The Last of The Burned’ trickles in with more ruggedness, the flowing melody with bassist Richard Svärd and Alexander Lundgren on drums, is only interrupted with more stupendous fret licking from Christoffer. ‘1001’ and ‘Echo’ will also be released as singles. The latter is so atmospheric, Alexander S excels himself.

There’s a track called ‘Break Up’, that explodes with a hook and it’s easy to join in with the uplifting chorus. One of the most captivating on the album is ‘Light The Fire’ which pumps with energy and simply rocks. ‘Somewhere I Know I Belong’ has strength with lower underpinning from Alex Lundgren’s drums. ’Superman’ pings, moving up and down octaves, that the singer must relish. The final song ‘Powerless’ sees the only true ballad on the album.

It’s brilliant to learn that Art Nation are back. The band have so much to offer, and Inception proves just that. It has taken a while, but past experiences have taught the Swedes that there is nothing like true friendship and when you can use that to make such divine music, it’s the icing on the cake.

Words by Diane Davies

NEAL SCHON JOURNEY THROUGH TIME

With the pantomime surrounding inner and outer band relationships in Journey, this live release of Neal Schon’s Journey Through Time San Francisco show, from 2018, is a timely reminder of their everlasting elite class of AOR music selling over 100 million units!

Being a benefit show for victims of the fires that raged through and ravaged the North Bay area of SF in late 2017, Schon reunited with original, and former fellow Santana band member, Gregg Rolie to rip through the choicest cuts from Journey’s extensive discography. Also involved is returning Journey member Deen Castronovo on vocals and drums, Marco Mendoza on bass, and John Varn on keyboards and vocals.

Mainly focusing on the band’s ‘70s repertoire, especially their first three albums, “Journey”, “Look Into The Future”, and “Next”, this soldout audience were lapping up this rare treat of thirty-one songs that also included Lovin’, Touchin’, Squeezin, Wheel In the Sky and universally known song Don’t Stop Believin’. The real surprise is the inclusion of Santana songs Black Magic Woman Oye Como Va on which Schon and Rolie musically stretch out revealing the fine chemistry shared by these veteran band originators. It’s been quite a wild ride for Journey who continue making headlines...

Words by Paul Davies

THE DEFIANTS DRIVE

For lovers of heavy melodic rock, The Defiants can be described as not only members/ ex-members of Danger, Danger, but an international supergroup. Together again after four years for this third album ‘Drive’, vocalist Paul Laine, who was with DD for eleven years, is reunited with guitarist Rob Marcello, whose brother is Kee of ‘Europe’ fame and bassist Bruno Ravel, who was also in ‘White Lion’ for a while. On drums this time is Van Romaine who has a bio which is as impressive as it is long, having performed with stars, ranging from ‘Enrique Iglesias’ and ‘Pitbull’ to the ‘London Symphony Orchestra’.

The song ‘Hey Life’ released as a single in early April, is a phenomenal introduction to this band. The guitar shudders with a riff that takes your breath away and Paul’s voice has extraordinary power. Van’s beating is high in the mix, so you are subjected to a full-on sound that you only hear from the best production, so it’s incredible to learn that Paul and Bruno also produced ‘Drive’.

‘Miracle’ is a ballad with beautiful harmonies and a melody that allows you to float away without a care. A track of complete contrast is ‘So Good’ which picks out Bruno’s bass and some epic rich tones. ‘The Night To Remember’ is a rock anthem, standing loud and proud, again full of richness, while the eleventh and last track ‘Nothing’s Gonna Stop Me Now’ has blasting guitar interlocking with vocals, on a pristine level.

A band consisting of a Canadian, Swede and two Americans, The Defiants live up to their name and defy any international obstacles, the result is a new album that turns back time, to those heady melodic days of the 80s, but with renewed zest and 21st Century overlays.

Words by Diane Davies

ENFORCER NOSTALGIA

Baton down the hatches as Enforcer returns with their sixth studio album Nostalgia, released via Nuclear Blast Records on May 5th, 2023. Formed in Arvika, Sweden 2005, these thirteen bangers see them at the top of their game. A point proven by the brief ‘Armageddon’ - an instrumental with tinges of ‘Tubular Bells’ for a call to battle-like feel.

Other choice cuts include ‘Unshackle Me’ - a track which is no frills heavy metal that quickly breaks free from its bonds. The vocals are melodic but also menace as riffs strafe away over a sturdy drum pound and 24-carat quality guitar solos raise the bar even higher! Banshee screams open up with ‘Coming Alive’, hurtling along on seriously fast and furious rhythms that don’t pause for breath. This song lives up to its title hands down as finger-blistering solos fly off the fretboards, breaking the speed of sound.

A smooth intro for ‘Heartbeats’ eases into hefty heavy hard rock. Steadfast dynamics give off a metronomic feel until it heads off into the fast lane for tarmac melting speed and a roughedged vocal. ‘Demon’ is mid-paced thrash metal that summons up from hell. They take no prisoners for the power metal of ‘Kiss Of Death’. The pace doesn’t waver as it zooms along on a kick drum assault of epicness as Nirvana is reached by twin lead overload.

‘Nostalgia’ is a four-minute power ballad that doesn’t outstay its welcome as its gently strummed intro adds a shimmering vibe towards a heavy outro of histrionic screams.

The album closes with a bang as ‘When the Thunder Roars (Crossfire)’ sees the spirit of NWOBHM taken on by Enforcer to let it flow through their veins as they go for the kill with an outstanding performance to end the album on a high.

Words by Dennis Jarman

THE DUST CODA LOCO PARADISE

The Dust Coda drop their next offering of off-the-hook rock ’n’ roll railing with the album ‘Loco Paradise’. Following up after 2021 LP ‘Mojo Skyline’ the boys are back at it again with more fist-to-sky hard-hitting attitude and a few cooler tones chucked into the mix with sincere tracklisting composure.

The opening song and first released single ‘Road To Hell’ is a vision board of how the album plays out in both theme and feel. It’s a war cry and nothing short of meaning business. Those soaring vocals of Josh Drake are as good as they’ve ever been with the entire album demonstrating his stronghold as one of the finer singers of this generation. ‘Call Out The Dogs’ and ‘Rock ’n’ Roll Paradise’ are the obvious anthemic riff chuggers whilst the last track ‘It Won’t Be Long’ is the suitable cool-out wrap-up.

Adam Mackie on lead guitar pulls some sterling solos out of the bag without taking away from the core magnetism of the band which lies in their songwriting. ‘Loco Paradise’ hits that sweet spot between 70s hard rock and a larger scale of production which comes together to form something to please many. It’s high-quality craftsmanship to hear the entire band come out in each song with Scott Miller snipping in drum licks in ‘Love Sick’ and some prominent bass work from Tony Ho. An all-around all you can eat ten track feast which will no doubt see The Dust Coda step further into a reign of their own.

Words by Monty Sewell

BLACK ROZE PENNY FOR YOUR SINS

Taking three years to complete ‘Penny For Your Sins’ is not only eleven tracks of differing genres but there’s also a reflection on past experiences. Each song has been written with amazing insight, recognising, and overcoming the hardest of situations, thus creating a journey for us to follow. This sophomore album from the Kent rockers is in their words ‘a rock version of our confession booth... an outpouring of our deepest darkest thoughts, deeds, and desires’.

The title track starts the proceedings. A tale about the allure of addiction, it’s loud and forthright rock. Viixen epitomises how a female vocalist should hammer out her lines and Baz Roze delivers screeching guitar. Sleazy does it for ‘Give Yourself to Me’ shifting into the gutter for some dirty exposure.

‘Hit Me Up’ retains the grime, is provocative and has a hell-bending rhythm, this is just delicious.

Viixen was hospitalised, having a lifethreatening illness back in 2020. The idea for ‘Devil’s Door’ was a result of those deathdefying days. It’s a sorrowful and melancholy track, that releases all those past fears. ‘Wake Up!’ is a zany number, with plenty of off-the-wall vocals and bouncy chords, that could bring anyone out of dreamland.

‘Burn It Down’ will be familiar territory for Black Roze fans, as it came out as a single in March 2022. The ballad ‘Footprints in The Sand’ is evidence of the band’s dexterity, a heart-warming piece full of warmth. ‘Not Your Whore (Anymore)’ from 2021, is a favourite that’s often played live. I hope the newer single ‘Poison Voices’ also stays on the setlist, as it’s a remarkable song and Baz lights up the frets yet again.

The bonus track ‘Curse of The Black Roze Part 2’ is an acoustic gem, very much in the ‘Stevie Nicks/Fleetwood Mac’ vein. Black Roze have put together a gorgeous album.

Words by Diane Davies

ELEGANT WEAPONS HORNS FOR A HALLOW

When it comes to creating a band with a group of famous musicians, it’s an immutable fact that expectations will be sky-high. Plus, if the right calibre of players sparks a creative reaction from each other then, surely, the end results must be as good as the sum of their fiery parts. Fans need not worry. This is as spectacular a record as one can hope to expect from the combination of Judas Priest’s Richie Faulkner and Scott Travis; Pantera bassist Rex Brown; and ex-Rainbow frontman Ronnie Romero. By weaponising these compositions, from Bitter Pill’s starting gun, with a scudding sonic attack, there’s an almighty nuclear blast in the fusion of quality songwriting and their sizzling execution. Initial single, Blind Leading The Blind, alerted the metal masses to this formidable army of songs arranging themselves on their listening horizon.

Horns For A Halo is an emblematic album title, and as a title track, it’s a saintly slab of feral metal, for the extremely good heavyweight serried rank of songs delivered with a hefty measure of menaces. The brainchild of Judas Priest guitarist, Richie Faulkner, he leads this pack with adrenalised power as former Rainbow singer, Ronnie Romero, reveals his best studio album vocal performance yet across these ten tracks. As Downfall Rising, Dirty Pig and the smouldering slower-paced The Ghost Of You adds a touch of class and further proof to there being plenty of live bangers waiting to explode in venues across the globe. There’s no sign of snagging as they swiftly move up through the gears throughout this wild ride. A snarling cover of UFO’s Lights Out confirms this and EW’s well-chosen influences and unrivalled metal supergroup provenance.

Words by Paul Davies

CRADLE OF FILTH TROUBLE AND THEIR DOUBLE LIVES

Following on from their 2021 studio album, Existence Is Futile, Cradle of Filth release an absolute juggernaut of a live record featuring two brand new tracks to quench the ominously spine-tingling thirst that has lingered on our tongues since.

Alongside the sixteen live tracks recorded between 2014 and 2019 we’re gifted with a prelude to their next upcoming LP with new songs ‘She Is A Fire’ and ‘Demon Prince Regent’. The former rightly forefronts the track listing. An ultimate black metal mouth frothing testament to the band’s long-running reign as a British metal institute, ‘Demon Prince Regent’ similarly fires from behind, laden with a dirty riff chug and Filth’s uncanny screams.

As the live tracks go, after twenty years since their last offering it’s not only very much welcomed but even more so well played out. The gripping inclusion of audience cheers sets the tone and magnitude of their live performance’s with ‘Nymphetamine (Fix)’, ‘The Death of Live’ and ‘You Will Know The Lion By His Claw’ amongst the countless Cradle of Filth fan discography favourites. “Let’s see that fucking pit open a little bit there!” growls Filth in-between songs; the energy of the shows blaring out through the live version musical deviations.

Produced by Scott Atkins he takes on ‘Heartbreak and Seance’, ‘Haunted Shores’ and ‘Saffron’s Curse’ to name a few, only amplifying Cradle of Filth’s reminder of why the live version can sometimes be the best.

The record comes to us at the end of a Cradle of Filth era, signifying the start of a new. Transporting the listener back to the heart of the pit it rages out with a darkly delicious nostalgia topped with some stellar new material.

Words by Monty Sewell

THUNDER BACKSTREET SYMPHONY / LAUGHING ON JUDGEMENT DAY / BEHIND CLOSED DOORSVINYL REISSUES

When, in August 2022, news broke of Danny Bowes’ near death experience, the rock world held its collective breath. An accidental head injury led to a subsequent stroke and, for a while, the future looked bleak for the muchloved voice of Thunder. Nine months on and Bowes is back fronting his Planet Rock radio show, remembering how to walk again and celebrating a second chance at life.

So what better time to revel in the records that defined a career and confirmed the former Terraplane frontman as the best blues rock singer of his generation? Given a coloured vinyl gatefold reboot — and featuring a limited selection of bonus live cuts — Thunder’s first three albums have been lovingly reimagined and carefully curated. And while a rather impressive repackaging job is long overdue (expect the remainder of the band’s consistently spectacular back catalogue to receive the same treatment soon) it’s the songs that still sell these storied releases. What hasn’t changed three decades down the line is the impact of Luke Morley’s peerless songwriting prowess.

The architect of Thunder’s iconic canon is criminally underrated as a master of his melodic craft but his tireless work on the band’s explosive debut truly stands the test of time. Fusing elements of Bad Company, Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple and more with Terraplane’s poppier signature sound, Morley reinvented his former band as purveyors of the finest British blues rock.

And in producer Andy Taylor, the genius Geordie who’d made his name in Duran Duran and Power Station, Thunder’s lead guitarist discovered a like-minded creative who shared a bold vision for necessary reinvention. That Taylor revealed he was managing incurable prostate cancer just weeks after Bowes had diced with death adds a fresh layer of perspective to the bullish Backstreet Symphony. As a debut album, it’s a remarkably bold statement of intent from a band bristling

with confidence.

And there’s no doubt Taylor’s canny production — coupled with Mike Fraser’s masterful mixing — played a key part in elevating best buddies Bowes and Morley to the next level. Listen again to the driving Dirty Love, evocative Higher Ground or the bashful ballad Love Walked In and it’s difficult to imagine Backstreet Symphony sitting anywhere other than atop 1990’s Best Of lists and flanked by myriad award nominations. In reality, a peak of 21 in the UK album charts barely reflected this game-changing record’s genuine influence within a newly energised British rock scene that had spawned the Quireboys, Gun, Little Angels, Dogs D’Amour, The Almighty and more.

Undeterred, Morley and Taylor joined forces again to co-produce 1992’s magnificent Laughing On Judgement Day and this time commercial success went hand in hand with a fresh surge in critical acclaim. Only Kylie’s Greatest Hits kept Thunder’s second album off the top of the charts as Bowes added his inimitable touch to the sassy Everybody Wants Her, brooding A Better Man and the titanic title track. No second album syndrome here then.

Not a chance. In fact, for all of Backstreet Symphony’s undeniable sheen, its superior follow-up was awash with frequent Morley flourishes so fabulous that the white and blue vinyl reissue feels a little tame. Emboldened by the success of Laughing On Judgement Day — and laughing in the face of grunge’s unstoppable rise — Thunder sought to up the ante on 1995’s Behind Closed Doors. Morley might have taken on sole production duties for the band’s third long player but he got the gang back together one more time: Taylor earned a writing credit on opener Moth To The Flame and Fraser served up a trademark mix out of Los Angeles’ Record Plant. Singles Stand Up, River Of Pain and Castles In The Sand all made their presence felt within the UK Top 40 and underpinned another reputationcementing tour de force from the irrepressible Londoners.

Within the space of six years Thunder — thanks to Morley, Taylor, Fraser et al — had nailed a flawless studio sound that would become synonymous with the band’s music for decades to come. But Bowes, in particular, only truly came alive belting out those classic tracks

in sweaty clubs and on vast festival stages the world over. So the decision to spread 10 live tracks across these three reissues is the added bonus every long-time fan craves and deserves.

Highlights include a version of Python Lee Jackson’s In A Broken Dream (recorded at Japan’s Club Citta in 2000), Gimme Some Lovin’ (from Nottingham’s Rock City in 2008) and Like A Satellite (live from Shepherd’s Bush Empire in 2007). Bowes is in his element breathing new life into these stirring live staples and it’s a blessing that Thunder’s talismanic frontman lives to fight another day.

Whether Danny boy makes it back to where he belongs — behind the mic and flanking best mate Morley — remains to be seen but revisiting three treasured records offers a timely reminder of a precious legacy.

Words by Simon Rushworth

REVOLUTION SAINTS

EAGLE FLIGHT

A project by Serafino Perugino (Head of A&R at Frontiers Records), ‘Revolution Saints’, was created around Deen Castronovo, who has the most majestic voice. ‘Journey’ fans will be well acquainted with the drummer’s singing ability, as he provided live vocals on their song ‘Mother, Father’.

This fourth release, ‘Eagle Flight’, features a brand-new line-up, joining Deen are guitarist Joel Hoekstra (Whitesnake, Trans-Siberian Orchestra) and bassist Jeff Pilson (Foreigner, Black Swan). There’s also a guest appearance by Alessandro Del Vecchio on keyboards, who also produced the album.

The soft keys of Alessandro open up the eponymous track ahead of Deen’s smooth tones. The arrival of Joel’s guitar adds lush and dynamic chords before it travels full circle, ending as calmly as it began. There’s more weight during ’Talking To Strangers’ and ‘Need Each Other’ is melodic perfection, the flow of this track is noble and sublime. ‘Kids Will Be Kids’ offers more time for Deen to reach his highest vocal range’ and ‘Crime Of The Century’ hears Joel delivering awesome strings, it’s another with fire in its body, as the rhythm races relentlessly.

‘Sacred’ brings the album down to earth, Jeff holds the rhythm eloquently while Deen pursues an increase in depth and again there are ample demonstrations of Joel’s talent. ‘Once More’ quietly comes across before gathering momentum. The last of the ten tracks is ’Save It All’ which raises the cadence level, ensuring this album delivers everything that ‘Revolution Saints’ fans have come to expect.

‘Eagle Flight’ is a must for those who adore the heavier and rockier edges of AOR and once again Deen proves himself as a captivating performer. This Mark 2 lineup has so much individual adeptness, but together as a unit, their masterly brilliance is hard to eclipse.

Words by Diane Davies

ALLAN JONES TOO LATE TO STOP NOW

This unputdownable book should come with an excess all areas warning. It’s rammed with finely recounted anecdotes from an era when musicians spent as much effort having a wild time offstage as they mostly did onstage. To report their high jinks, there was a cadre of journalists chopping along also experts in how to take advantage of record company largesse. This involved a few who could easily match if not exceed the excesses of the artists whose rider they were indulging in with wild abandon. Re-enter former Melody Maker and Uncut magazine editor, Allan Jones, who has published his follow up memoirs to the Sunday Times 2017 music book of the year, I Can’t Stand Up For Falling Down, and he’s raised the ante on Too Late To Stop Now. Subtitled More Rock N Roll War Stories. It’s Jones’ shot proof like liver and nose for a good time that emerges victoriously intact from this second magnificent instalment of his storied life reporting from rock music’s frontline.

The page turning tales commence with a last minute one on one champagne fuelled print deadline rendezvous with a gaudily dressed Elton John in his Dorchester Hotel suite. It’s 1974 and Jones is three weeks into his first role at Melody Maker and this booze fuelled interview is a primer for the entertaining on the road shenanigans to come. When not in the pub sharing the good times with his fellow scribes, Jones is in the thick of it being set on fire by The Damned; immersed in an inebriated vodka encounter with Peter Cook, strange and surreal interviews with Peter Gabriel, Jethro Tull’s Ian Anderson and a bizarre meeting with Yes’ Jon Anderson on the French Riviera. All of which is emblematically documented with Jones’ inventive quips and highly engaging prose. As one of the very few journalists to get on with Lou Reed, it’s also clear that the artists and bands mostly got along with Jones and his insatiable quest for danger. The heady blend of interviews, between 1974 - 2014, with rock stars, prog minstrels, punk reprobates, new wave songwriters and much more… and their rise, and decline of some, into household names is a priceless collection of tales from an time when music writers reported without restrictions from the warts and all battleground of music. Taking its title from a Van Morrison song, the wheels quite nearly came off Jones’ many hilarious journey’s as he crashed around with the subjects involved here. Thankfully, and miraculously, he survived to tell these outrageous first hand stories. This is a first-class Rolls Royce Phantom of a book.

Words by Paul Davies

ROBERT JON & THE WRECK LIVE AT THE ANCIENNE BELGIQUE

Robert Jon & The Wreck’s musical journey, especially in Europe, is smoothly drifting from middle lane madness to a life in the fast lane. Playing larger venues on return trips to these shores is a sure sign as is the growing sales and received kudos for the studio output, such as recent EP One Of A Kind.

As is the tradition of bands who require a bit of breathing space between studio offerings, this live album recorded in Brussels in June 2022, documents their musical achievements seven years into their tuneful adventure. Plus, being released on Joe Bonamassa’s record label, it’s certainly a case of so far, so good as Live at The Ancienne Belgique proves.

RJ&TW’S modus operandi from the cautionary tale of The Devil Is Your Only Friend with its intertwining of slide and lead guitar and keyboards, light and shade musical mood colours, and the Allman Brothers influenced duelling guitars on Do You Remember is one of good time blues hued Southern Roots Rock. As those who have seen the band live will attest, lead guitarist Henry James Schneekluth is a guitar genius of this genre who loads up this band’s rocket of songs with a fiery fuel of fretwork par excellence. His guitar solo, three songs in, says it all as he slides into the boogie riff to Hey Mama.

Robert Jon Burrison’s mid to high register vocals communicate these tunes straight out of the dogeared Southern Rock boogie book of how to do it right. Overall, as good as the musicianship is, this bulging genre of bands would be nothing without good songs and The Wreck has very good songs. Blame It On The Whiskey, Oh, Miss Carolina, Tired Of Drinking Alone and, especially, Shine A Light On Me Brother sound as excellent live as they do on record. California’s finest, Robert Jon & The Wreck are the real deal!

Words by Paul Davies

ATREYU

THE HOPE OF SPARK EP

Atreyu returns with “The Hope of Spark’’ and I’m not sure whether it was timing, but this fourtrack E.P. was just what I needed. Four songs of no-messing alternative, hardcore metal, complemented with great musicianship, singalong melodies, and stomping hard-core riffs you feel like you want an arena to yourself just to rock out to!

There’s a touch of inspired-by moments for sure, but it doesn’t distract from being unmistakable “Atreyu” under the bonnet, I love it all. You just have to turn the volume up and up until your speaker bleeds and fills whatever space you’re in loud and proud!

Kicking off with “Drowning” as you might expect experimenting with different sounds and effects the song blasts straight into a thumbing guitar riff, filled out with a hard and heavy rhythm section, exploding into a passionate heavy laden massive chorus. Second up is “Good Devil’’ the ingredients? Take NIN inspired memory or two, turn it inside out and upside down, and punch it through the Atreyu songwriting machine with a tidy sprinkling of a massive rock chorus you know you’re going to scream out with all your friends at a rock festival and there you have it, an Atreyu classic.

“Capital F” comes next, simply put, pure bliss, hard bouncy chorus, complemented with additional sound effects throughout for a more emotive experience while you soak in the lyrics which have quite the aggressive tone. Lastly, “Watch Me Burn” it’s more of the same... but in a great way! Perfectly executed, written, polished, and produced just as you would expect. The experience of only having four songs to play left me feeling really pleased. I spent time listening to these songs, and yes wanting more very soon thank you.

SWEET AND LYNCH HEART AND SACRIFICE

The third album from Michael Sweet (Stryper) and George Lynch (Lynch Mob, Dokken) sees the duo reunited for the first time since 2017. Both previous albums, the 2015 debut ‘Only To Rise’ and ‘Unified’ were immensely successful, reaching high positions in the Billboard charts.

Who doesn’t like a bit of George Lynch, he recently stated he’d given up trying to impress other guitarists, he never had to compete in my opinion. Michael’s vocals are legendary, last year he joined forces with Joel Hoekstra, Marco Mendoza, Tommy Aldridge, and Nathan James, for the supergroup ‘Iconic’ whose debut ‘Second Skin’ received wide acclaim. With so many projects happening between them, it was only in 2022 that the pair could start writing together again, resulting in twelve tracks entitled ‘Heart & Sacrifice’.

On bass is Alessandro Del Vecchio who also produced the album with Michael, he is joined by French drummer Jelly Cardarelli (Lalu, Klone) for the rhythm section. George performs lead guitar, while Michael is on vocals and second guitar.

After listening to the title track, it’s apparent this is one of those albums that will stand the test of time. ‘Where I Have To Go’ is a song packed with Michael’s delectable vocals and George has the freedom to discharge undying chords. ‘Miracle’ taps into anthem rock while the riff on ‘You’ll Never Be Alone’ is lush beyond words. More guitar splendour on ‘Will It Ever Change’ and ever-pressing lyrics make it a darker encounter.

‘Every Day’ turns the direction to the light, a racing piece where every instrument is given space. George is in his element on ‘It Rains Again’ bearing a gift of thunderous riffing. The ballad ‘World Full Of Lies’ is a poignant finish. Overall, the album leans on dynamic and pretty heavy scores and it does not disappoint at all.

Words by Diane Davies

L.A. GUNS BLACK DIAMONDS

You know it, L.A.Guns are alive and well thank you very much! The work instructions on how to compose and deliver what I feel is a fine piece of hard rock and roll, in this latest release from Tracii Guns, Phil Lewis, and the Gang. From Start to finish, great songs, unashamedly sprinkled with 70’s tones and vibe, but yes, still contemporary. “You Betray” kicks off. Just wow. A great start, blistering into a Zep-inspired singalong, melody, a definite favourite, moving on to “Wrong About You” again, provides superb rock and roll riffage, it takes your mind back to those more simplistic memories of just enjoying well-structured music.

“Diamonds” follows and is what you might say is the ballad on the album, a total classic for sure with a chorus to stay in your head for a good while. Song 4 is “Babylon ‘’ makes me think of just how much this band must be enjoying life currently, flawless with great rhythm and lots of tambourine to dance along to. Song 5 follows with “Shame” which is just classic L.A.Guns, with a mix of sleazy guitars, bopping drums and bass, harmonica, and of course, Mr Lewis singing those songs like there’s no tomorrow. Next up is “Shattered Glass”, quite the contemporary number with a punk-era chorus hook and screaming guitar!

Song 7 “Gonna Lose” for me has drawn inspiration from that 70s era, great licks, and thoughtful musicianship, a track I haven’t been able to put aside yet! This leads us to “Got It Wrong”, a full-on dose of classic hard rock I defy any music lover to not rock out to. No messing with an AC/DC vibe follows with “Lowlife” and puts that late 80s vibe back on the map to blast out. Song 10 “Crying” is a touch psychedelic with its vibe, providing a stompy beat and singalong melody your ears are going to love. and the album finishes with “Like A Drug” a reminder of what classic hard rock and roll should sound like.

An album which will sit with pride in most lovers of hard rock and roll, rest assured it won’t gather dust at the back of your music collection.

Words by Russell Peake

Words by Russell Peake

DEATHSTARS EVERYTHING DESTROYS YOU

The latest much-anticipated opus from Swedish industrial metalheads Deathstars have a new release “Everything Destroys You”. Ten songs you can bite into with their dark horror approach to rock n roll. Overall, the album has a great feel for the genre with many highlights. Standout notes are the blending off female background vocals adding an additional twist to melodies on the vocals which stand out really well.

SAMANTHA FISH & JASON DAYTON

DEATH WISH BLUES

Dynamic blues force Samantha Fish and country outlaw Jesse Dayton come together for their new collaborative album Death Wish Blues.

The pair’s latest album follows off the back of the three-track Stardust Sessions EP which was released at the end of 2022. This time around fans are treated to 12 tracks including recent

In addition, as you might expect the horror side is very much still there, you could quite possibly take the keyboards on their own and find they would fit just nicely alongside any Hammer Horror production of yesteryear. There is a slightly generic feel to some of the chord progression on some songs, but the fans will love this album, I have no doubt.

Kicking off with “This is” a total stomper and destined to climb the charts for sure! “Midnight Party” is a favourite on this album. While the melodies come across as upbeat you can party all night to this little number with a great chant for the chorus hook. “Anti All” is third up filled with eerie keys and blasting drums throughout the song. The album title track follows “Everything Destroys You” filled with more eerie melodies in the verses and a punchy chorus to get the crowd singing along.

Track 5 “Between Volumes & Voids” blasts in with some heavy guitars and a sublime chorus, more, please? Song 6 up is the massive “An Atomic Prayer” Surely a festival favourite in

the making. “Blood For Miles” comes across like another single for the future containing all the elements to promote the cause. Interestingly I appreciate the lead guitars with more emotion than shredding so this one has stuck in my mind for its structuring.

Track 8 “The Churches of Oil” for me is a great example of the thought that’s gone into this album overall, every time I listen to this one, I find something new I like about it. “The Infrahuman Masterpiece” is the penultimate singalong, a song which felt like there was a slight tinge of early “Within Temptation”.

The album closes with an all-gunsblazing full-on melodic creation with harmonious keyboards, a thunderous rhythm section, crunchy guitars & sweet sound effects, and a sprinkle of inspiration from a “Ghost” production. “Angel of Fortune & Crime” will have you looking forward to seeing them live in Europe come October! Awesome.

Words by Russell Peake

single Deathwish. The infectious groove and catchy hooks of the latter immediately draw you in at the top of the album. And at just 2 minutes and 39 seconds in duration, it leaves the listener wanting more. Which is a good job, as eleven more tracks follow.

Jesse Dayton takes the lead on Down In The Mud, which has a truly funky groove. Whilst the influence of producer Jon Spencer shines through on old-school blues number and their recent single Riders. A song with RL Burnside undertones, which you can imagine being played in a Mississippi juke joint. The same could be said of Trauma. A song with a tight beat, and a danceable rhythm. The track also showcases Dayton’s lyric prowess. Whilst the fuzz-fuelled psychedelic guitar breakdown of the song once again highlights Spencer’s influence on the project.

The album showcases many different musical stylings. Lover On The Side showcases a country feel with blues undertones. Whilst Rippin and Running has a feel for Bentonia, or Hill Country

Blues typified by the raw guitar tone and unmistakable rhythm. The duo switch things up somewhat with Supadupabad. And with a title like that, you would expect nothing less than an up-tempo funky number with a garage rock feel. The twelve-track release comes to its conclusion with a wonderfully harmonious love ballad titled You Know My Heart.

Throughout her career, it has become apparent that Samantha Fish is not afraid to push the boundaries of the blues genre. From her slide-fuelled guitar riffs to her Motown, Soul, Country and Blues/rock stylings, the artist has gone over and above the traditional limitations of the genre. Now with Death Wish Blues, the blues supremo alongside Jesse Dayton has done it again and to good measure.

Death Wish Blues by Samantha Fish and Jesse Dayton will be released on May 19th via Rounder Records.

Words by Adam Kennedy

PHOTO GALLERY BY SIMON DUNKERLEY

DARK CIRCLE

Hi Rach! Let’s start at the beginning...Please introduce yourself to the HRH MAG readers. What’s your name and where do you come from?

I feel like I’m being interviewed for Blind Date! I’m Rach, I’m from and live in Birmingham.

Growing up, when did you first fall in love with music, who were the faces in the posters on your walls!

I always loved music even when I was a kid watching Culture Club and Wham on Top of the Pops! My tastes started to become a bit more varied in secondary school. I discovered Bon Jovi and Guns n Roses and used to go to my mates’ house and copy all her albums! Jon Bon Jovi was the one that was predominantly on my walls as a teen though.

Birmingham had so many great places to rock! Did you spend your misspent youth years at Eddies and Exposure, what was the rock scene like for you as a teen?

As a teen I didn’t go to Eddie’s or XLs. In my indie/grunge years I used to go to the Pot of Beer in Birmingham which is where PWEI used to do DJ sets above the bar! I started going to XLs once I’d moved back from college and remember their brilliant £10 ticket: all you can drink nights! Messy!! I can remember people leaning over the bar and serving themselves!

Once XLs died a death that’s when we headed to Eddies (and The Gallows) as a weekly thing and I got involved with doing promo for bands

and the club for a while, even after the place burned down and we were in new premises. They were fun times! It’s a big answer cuz it was such a huge part of my life! I met my bestie Caz at Eddies!

Have you always been a fan of rock music, or was it one band that drew you into the genre? I like all sorts. I went through various phases during my teen years, into rock, AOR, sleaze but then at the same time I had an indie, goth, and grunge phase too. Probably why you’ll find me at a variety of gigs. There’s too much good stuff out there not to listen to it! My uncle was a blues guitarist and he taught me a lot!

Where did it all begin for you Rach, can you remember your first gig?

My first gig was David Lee Roth on the Lil’ Ain’t Enough tour with Warrant supporting. My uncle took me, and I just remember being amazed by the whole gig!

And your first festival? When did you start attending the HRH Events?

My first festival - I was a late starter really. It was Ozzfest in 2001 at Milton Keynes Bowl. I got the bug and then started going to Reading Festival (back when it was good!). And then when Download started, I used to go to that every year too! I started going to HRH in 2009 back at the Prestatyn site. I’ve been to every HRH in November since!

What is your favourite event in the HRH Calendar and why?

HRH in November. For me it’s the best event. A variety of genres and something for everyone. Plus, all my mates are there and it’s a lot of fun!

What has been your most memorable event to date and why? Was it the line-up, a particular set, or maybe a very wild and wonderful caravan party? Bear in mind names will not be withheld to protect the innocent!

Ha! Well, I’d say the HRH’s at Prestatyn with the chalet parties used to be legendary didn’t they! Definitely a few stories there but not sure I can share them!! I think for me the HRH events in North Wales (don’t ask me to spell it!) were the best. That main room was epic both in terms of sound/stage. That’s where I made a lot of my close friends too, so I’ll always be grateful for that!

You are quite new to the DC Rach; how does it feel to be part of the family?

You get to see the work behind the scenes and get to hear about future plans and events, it’s not all free pizza and shots is it! It feels great! Nice to be part of the family. Nice to be able to hear about the future plans but also to have some input into it too!

What is it about HRH Events that keeps you coming back for more Rach?

The people. For me it’s become like a little family, and I absolutely love spending time with everyone!

Interview By: Viki Ridley

SAMANTHA FISH & JESSE DAYTON NEW ALBUM DEATH WISH BLUES

Produced by Jon Spencer, the first-ever collaborative album from Samantha Fish and Jesse Dayton, Death Wish Blues, is a body of work born from a shared passion for pushing the limits of blues music.