Highwire Daze Issue #141

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Publisher Highwire Daze Magazine A General Partnership Editor Ken Morton Managing Editor Danny S. Pasley Senior Photographer Jack Lue East Coast Editor Jupiter Lee Contributors Ken Morton Jack Lue Jupiter Lee James Grover Kim Crain Joie Schaeffer Tony F. Corpse

TABLE OF CONTENTS INTERVIEWS with...

SLASH..................................................................14 Brainstorm.............................................................18 Crazy Lixx.............................................................22 Crystal Ball...........................................................26 Constance Antoinette.............................................30 Audio Reign...........................................................34 Giant......................................................................38 Screaming Shadows/Tygers Of Pan Tang..............42 Rene Camacho of WAR Pt 2.................................50

CONSTANCE ANTOINETTE POSTER by JACK LUE...32/33

Cover Art by Yannick d’Assignes of Smart Works Intl Cover Photos by Jack Lue Audio Reign photo by Kory Williams HIGHWIRE DAZE 827 N. Hollywood Way PMB419 Burbank, CA 91505-2814 www.highwiredaze.com email: ken@highwiredaze.com Copyright 2022 Highwire Daze Magazine Opinions expressed within this publication do not neccessarily reflect those of the publisher.

All rights reserved. Nothing may be produced in whole or in part without the express and written permission of the publisher.

CONCERT REVIEWS Adrian Smith/Richie Kotzen..................................48 The Metal Assault 12th Anniversary Fest with Through The Oculus, Malison, and more..............50 Dirty Honey, Mammoth WVH..............................52 Six Gun Sal, The Guitar & Whiskey Club, Bonnie Brae...........................................................56 Immolation, Imperial Triumphant.........................58 ALBUMS REVIEWS Black Terror, City Of Lights, Epic, Professional Murder Music, Veonity, Vigil Of War, We Are The Black Things...................................................60 SKETCHES BY THE EDITOR................................................... 8 PRODUCT REVIEW BY JAMES GROVER...........................10 IN MUSICAL ORBIT BY JUPITER Scorpions, Crystal Ball reviews............................12

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Sketches By The Editor Welcome to Highwire Daze Issue #141, featuring an interview with the legendary SLASH! Be sure to check it out, as we chat about his new album with Myles Kennedy & The Conspirators entitled 4, Eddie Van Halen, his thoughts on the new Pam and Tommy mini-series, his Rocky Horror connection, and more!

On just 10-minute notice, our 12-minute SLASH interview covered A LOT of territory. Thanks to photographer extraordinaire Jack Lue for setting this up!

And very special thanks to SLASH for the lively phone interview!

The next issue of Highwire Daze will be The NAMM Show Edition believe it or not - out May 20th and featuring interviews with Biff Byford of Saxon, The Haunt, and more! NAMM will take place at The Anaheim Convetion Center on June 3-5 and Highwire Daze will be there with a vendor booth. Watch for our Booth Number and special guest autograph signing announcements soon!

As we come out of the pandemic age, it is good to see live shows back and audiences rocking out to their favorite bands. Everyone please stay safe out there and see you all at a show or on the worldwide web soon!

Down In Wuhan New original 12 song Hollywood Hard-Rock album Down In Wuhan released world-wide on 8/28/21!

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Product Review by

James Grover Mr. Black Analog Chorus Vibrato Deluxe Guitar Pedal Review

Let’s take a look at the Mr. Black Analog Chorus Vibrato pedal. This is an analog modulation pedal with tap Tempo control and four waveforms selections.

The Mr. Black Analog Chorus Vibrato Deluxe creates a fully analog modulation experience perfect threading new Sonic sound territory. With controls for deeply sculpture and unique experience. It has modulated voices down to great characteristics with great detail. The mix rate and controls bring up the basics by using the treble and response rate of the sound creation with the responsive controls on the Chorus Vibrato Deluxe. The unit can be used to shift chorus effects from a bright shimmering flourishing sound to a wild wobbling vibrato. The waveforms are also accessible that are easily tapped into different styles of modulation with the tap Tempo control, and players can experience the sound of great chorus effects.

I had the opportunity to speak to the Engineer who created the pedal Jack Deville, he informed me that the pedal has many characteristics to it and it works like 2 or more pedals built in one unit. Liam “Mutt” Jeffris a good friend out of the Philadelphia Music scene is a musician that uses the Mr Black Analog Chorus Vibrato. Here’s what he had to say.

What do you like about the Mr. Black chorus pedal?

“I really love the chorus/reverb effect the pedal has, it blew me away the first time I tried the unit.”

How is this pedal different than the other pedals you have used in the past?

“Well it’s different mainly because of the tone it gives.. it never disappoints me.”

With you growing up in the Philly music scene which is very competitive has the Mr. Black chorus pedal helped you with innovating your sound?

“It definitely has, I think it gives a unique sound and goes well with my style of playing.”

Likes:

Likes and Dislikes

I like that the pedal is built solid and made in the USA and if you have any issues you can always call Mr. Black pedals which has a great customer service.www.mrblackpedals.com

Dislikes:

I can’t find anything negative about this pedal only thing it’s not a budget-friendly unit since it’s a little steep in price.

Reach James Grover at: https://www.facebook.com/james.grover.311 10

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Photo of Liam “Mutt” Jeffris HIGHWIRE DAZE

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In Musical Orbit by Jupiter Jupiter at Highwire Daze Online Crew East Coast Editor

Hey everyone! It’s Jupiter Lee - East Coast Editor. Check out my record reviews here and be sure to add me on Facebook! Link is at the end of my column...

Rock Believer Scorpions Spinefarm Records With the release of their 19th album ROCK BELIEVER and having sold more than 120 million albums, for 50 years SCORPIONS have remained one of metals’ most precious and important bands. Having only two remaining original members are vocalist / frontman KLAUS MEINE and guitarist RUDOLF SCHENKER. Barreling into the first tune is Gas In The Tank and has this smokin’, rockin’ yet commercial sound to it. MEINE showing he still has one of the best voices in metal today.

Contemporary metal and rock beats, extraordinary musical arrangements prevail and show no signs of them slowing down the pace they’ve set for themselves. Track 02, Roots In My Boots further shows their musical prowess with its’ fast paced riffs. Monstrously heavy is #06 Seventh Sun. Track 09 Peacemaker is one of my favorites.

Another highlight for me is their last song, track #16 When You Know (Where You Come From). This tune is totally different from the rest . Simply acoustic guitar and MEINE ‘s voice. The album is so well - produced and makes you wonder if there’s anything they can’t do. The album contains 16 tracks.

Make sure you leave a good hour to experience ROCK BELIEVER. Stay tuned for a SCORPIONS tour scheduled for around March - April 2022!

https://www.the-scorpions.com/

Crysteria Crystal Ball Massacre Records

From Switzerland, welcome to the new album from CRYSTAL BALL. It’s called CRYSTERIA. Formed in 1998, it begins their 3rd decade as a band. Musicians include vocalist / frontman STEVEN MAGENEY, guitarist PETER BERGER, guitarist SCOTT LEACH, bass guitarist CRIS STONE and drummer MARCEL SARDELLA. Opening with a gripping keyboard intro then quickly followed by driving, melodic guitar on track 01 What Part Of No. Though I feel it’s more a guitar - based song, tasteful keyboards are a big part of their sound but they’re not over-mixed. Drummer has a fresh, melodic sense to his playing. Track 02 You Lit My Fire has a surprisingly catchy chorus. Harmonies could rival QUEEN. Also I think you can hear some RONNIE JAMES DIO influence in MAGENEY’s voice. Guitar solo is short and to the point; very nice! Track 03 features RONNIE ROMERO on Call Of The Wild. Track 04, I Am Rock contains a cool medium tempo galloping type beat. Next track 05 Undying begins with a drum intro that helps to define the 4 on the floor groove and the driving force behind it. Everyone is on the top of their game in this band. Bass and drums work especially well together. The album has many songs about keeping your hopes and dreams alive. Excellent double bass drum work on the title track 06 Crysteria and will surprise you with it’s killin’ ending. Track #7 Make My Day contains a different feel and beat.. strutting, fresh and exciting. Vocal harmonies are a huge part of CRYSTAL BALL’s sound and is almost like having another instrument. Digging this very much. Onto track 08 , No Limits, syncopated keyboards compliment SARDELLA’s drum beat. Well - spaced vocals leave just enough room for all of their awesome instrumentations. Another really catchy hook then modulates into another flawlessly executed guitar solo. Driving rhythms are throughout the recording and maintains a consistent flow. The final tune, Til You Meet Again, was written with piano and vocal. At 55 minutes in length and 13 tracks, CRYSTERIA has a great flow to it and also features many very special guests. This will be a great live band!!

https://www.crystal-ball.ch/en/band/

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Shaking It Up with

SLASH

Interview by Ken Morton - Photos by Jack Lue

Slash is widely known and revered as one of the greatest and influential guitar players on the planet - first with the legendary Guns N’ Roses and now with his own band Slash Ft. Myles Kennedy and The Conspirators. Recenty issuing their bramd new album entitled 4. Slash Ft. Myles Kennedy and The Conspirators are back out on the road, rocking the masses with their absolutely raging tunes! Highwire Daze checked in with the one and only Slash just prior to the tour to discuss the epic refrains of 4, recording and touring with Covid in the midst, discussing another guitar great Eddie Van Halen, his own family connection to the Rocky Horror Show, and more! Read on!

First of all, 4 is such a magic number when it comes to albums. Zeppelin had a big hit with 4, Foreigner had a big hit with 4. Was that kind of in your mind when you called the album 4?

Uh, no. I called the album 4 because I thought it was sort of a milestone that we got to 4 – bit more importantly, because we had just gone through 2020, which was just such a globally disastrous year on every level. And I didn’t know how you could name a record without referring to that somehow. And I didn’t want to do that. I just wanted to sort of move on from it, so I figured either a song title or 4 would be good – so I went with 4.

What was it like recording during? I believe Myles even had Covid in the midst of recording.

Yeah, we did it in Nashville with Dave Cobb at RCA Studio A. We took all the necessary precautions. And we took a tour bus down there to avoid commercial travel and all that. And we tested regularly. And everybody was fine. And as soon as we finished tracking the whole record, Myles tested positive suddenly. And fortunately, we recorded the album live, so we had the record done with the exception of some background vocals and assorted overdubs. But he had to go into quarantine and then everyone else tested, and consequently Brent and Todd also tested positive. So, I got some harmony stuff done and what not, and then Dave and I were like “Well, now what?” And decided we’ll start rough mixing the record until those guys feel better, and then they’ll come in and finish HIGHWIRE DAZE

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up their stuff. So that’s basically what we did. We actually did the background vocals at the house where we were all quarantining. I caught it quickly after that. It was inevitable because we were all living in the same house and sharing the same kitchen. So even though everybody was quarantining in their rooms, we did have to use the universal kitchen. So, I ended up getting it and my guitar tech got it. But I got vaccinated while I was in Nashville, so it was a real short turnaround for me. But anyway, we finished the background vocals back at the house, and when everybody was feeling better, we got together, and we mixed the record. We had a little bit of a hiccup, but it was all part of that adventure. We still don’t know how Myles caught it.

Was there any kind of magic recording at RCA Studio A in Nashville where all these legendary country artists recorded?

Yeah, there was definitely a very tangible vibe – and the sort of aura of these really fucking, enigmatic and iconic artists had all worked there. They had black and white candid photos of everybody from Dolly Parton to Waylon Jennings to Johnny Cash to Elvis Presley to Charlie Pride – all around the studio. And Steve Cropper’s office is in the building as well, so there was definitely a vibe – and it was pretty inspiring actually.

So, what has it been like touring in a post pandemic age for you? It must be pretty cool to finally get back on the stage again.

It’s nice obviously to get back out. It was really a frustrating period when we were all sidelined for so long. I did go out with Guns some months ago, and that was my first time out on the road – and it was very explosive because people were first getting out of the house, and we were first getting out on the road – and the coming together of the two dynamic was pretty explosive. So then, for us, it’s been three years, so it’s the same kind of vibe now. It’s like really combustible – we can’t wait to get out there and play to an audience that’s actually dying to get out and do something. It’s really sort of magical.

A series called Pam & Tommy is currently playing on cable right now. Have you seen it, what do you think of it – and if 15

someone did one on Guns N’ Roses, who would play you?

I haven’t seen it and I sort of don’t want to see it. I know Tommy and I remember that period and I don’t want to be reminded of it. But my significant other is watching it, and she says it’s really funny. (Laughs) We’ve been offered for some docu-drama type deal – one was for my book when I did it – I got a lot of offers on that – and then there’s a few people that have come to Guns. I just don’t think it’s possible. I don’t like rock autobiographical movies – I think they all sort of miss the beat – and they just don’t come across as genuine – they always come off and sort of stupid and corny. (Laughs) I don’t see anybody in Guns signing off and having anybody come in and play them. I definitely can’t imagine who would play me.

Your son London is in a band called S8nt Elektric. Have you seen them yet, and did you think your son would ever follow in your footsteps and become a musician?

I did see them – I’ve seen them a couple of times. They actually played a festival with Guns on that last tour that we did, which was great. But it’s weird – he’s really good – he’s got a natural flair for drumming. I’m totally sort of blown away and impressed with it. I didn’t necessarily see it coming. I wasn’t trying to sort of push the kids in that direction – I just wanted to support what they wanted to do. And London 16

gravitated to drums at some point – and he really didn’t take it seriously until he started working with the guitarist Niko who is in the band S8nt Elektric and all of a sudden, he just turned a corner and got really good really quick. I’m really proud of him – I’m proud of both of them (London and Cash) – they are both really musically inclined.

Your mom was involved with the Rocky Horror Show at The Roxy back in the day. What was that experience like, and were you ever a fan of The Rocky Horror Show?

Yeah, I loved it! You’re talking to a self-professed horror fanatic – anything like that was a turn on to me as a kid. But I remember it was quite the experience, hanging out at The Roxy. They did sort of a residency there for a week – and just being there every day – it was definitely cool! And I’m reminded of it, because we lost Meat Loaf recently, and he was somebody that I was drawn to as Eddie in the cast. And we had a real close friend named Kim Milford who actually played the monster in the play – he’s not in the movie but he was in the play – I was around it for that whole period 24/7.

It was also the first time I got to see Cheech and Chong live and they were fucking hilarious – even back then – I was 7, maybe 8 years old. But yeah, it was fun memories.

Did you ever at any time have any theatrical inspirations – March/April 2022

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where you wanted to act and do something like that?

No, it’s totally counter to my personality. Actually, it’s mind blowing to me that people can do that. It’s a skill that I will never understand. And I see it in person because I’ve been producing horror movies for the last nine years, and I watch people go into character and act, and it’s just so otherworldly to me Are there any plans for another Guns N’ Roses album as far as you know?

There is stuff coming out – there’s songs that are already recorded that we’re just sort of putting out piecemeal. So, some stuff is definitely going to be coming up. And then at some point, there will be a Guns record which will be a compilation of all the material that’s been out.

People consider you a guitar legend. Another guitar legend recently passed away – Eddie Van Halen. Did you know Eddie Van Halen and what were your initial thoughts when he passed?

I knew Eddie for years. I actually have some great memories with Eddie. He was just one of these people that I’m going to miss a lot. But I was in Chicago working on the Guns N’

Roses pinball machine when I got that call. I remember the exact moment – I had been away from my phone all day because I had been in the factory room where they put the machines together when I said let me go check my phone. And I went into the office and my phone had all these messages and it was about Eddie, and it was just heartbreaking.

What’s up next for Slash Ft. Myles and the Conspirators?

We’re finishing out this tour. We’re really only just getting started – we’re about five or six shows into it of a 29-show run. Then I’m going to go back to Guns for a European tour, an Australian and also a South American tour – makeup dates for 2020. And then at the beginning of 2023, The Conspirators go out and we do our international run of Europe, Asia, South America, and Australia.

You are going to be busy – that’s for sure!

Yeah, yeah – the pandemic sort of put us in a pot, shook it all up, and now it’s coming out all topsy-turvey. It’s sort of a mess, but we’re figuring it out…

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BRAINSTORM: Climbing Above The Wall Of Skulls

Interview by Ken Morton Wall Of Skulls by Brainstorm is the 13th epic release from this famed German heavy metal collective, and it’s a thrilling sonic adventure well worth seeking out. Featuring the mesmerzing vocals of Andy B. Franck and produced by Sebastian “Seeb” Levermann of Orden Ogan infamy, Wall Of Skulls presents Brainstorm in their finest hour! Highwire Daze recently interviewed the one and only Mr. Andy B. Franck to find out more about the story behind Walls Of Skulls, and working not only with Seeb from Orden Ogan but Peter “Peavy” Wagner of Rage as well on the album.

Also discussed was Andy B. Franck’s time spent within the ranks of Symphorce and more! Read on...

Is there any overall story or concept behind that title Wall Of Skulls?

No, not really. It’s just the idea I had months ago when Torsten our guitarist came to me and said he wanted to have a title which was really catchy, which sounds really heavy.

And I had this idea about Wall Of Souls, which is really more less what I think happens in all our minds – especially over the last couple of years with all this social media stuff and 18

all the religious problems we have in the Far East for example. You could take a look down at Israel and Palestine for example – you have dead bodies on both sides every time – so it’s people getting killed because of rockets – because of bombs and everything. There’s so much hate and anger and fear – everything on both sides – they’re really not able to talk to each other anymore. I have no idea what will happen in the future, because they’ve built up a wall in their head – no one is able to climb above it. And I call this wall a Wall Of Skulls because it’s built out of dead bodies. So that’s more or less the idea behind the album title. But it’s no concept album.

Let’s talk about some of the songs and some of people you worked with on Wall Of Skulls. Sebastian “Seeb” Levermann of Orden Ogan was the producer – what was it like working with him?

I’ve known Seeb for many years now. To me, it’s my third album working with him, and for Brainstorm it’s the second – and I think what makes the big difference working with Seeb to all the other guys we’ve already worked with is that you can call him a real producer. I think the real difference is that more or less he becomes the sixth member of the band for the time we’re in the studio. He’s not just sitting there behind March/April 2022

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the mixing desk saying, “Okay, let’s start recording. So, it’s good. No, it’s not. Try again.” For example, what I’ve had, there was somebody sitting behind the mixing desk saying, “Okay, Andy, that was good. Could you do another one?”

“Yeah, okay I can do another one.” “Yeah, that was good” and I would “No, it wasn’t good!” If you call yourself a producer, you have to work with the band. It is work! Nothing more – nothing less. You should take care about the band.

So, this is what Seeb is really doing – he’s listening to the songs very carefully. He knows the songs before we go into the studio. This is really important. He knows exactly what is going on and he tells you what he likes or what he dislikes.

It’s fun, it’s amazing to make – but sometimes it’s definitely tough anyway! (Laughs) Sometimes there were instances where I was “Okay, it sounds good to me. It sound perfect!” And he’d say “No, it’s not good.” With the computers, you can just work on the tuning, but you cannot work on the feeling. And that’s the main difference. And he left you standing in this booth so long recording this one simple sentence – recording it over and over again for 1 ½ hours – and I was so angry after a while.

But after a while he said, “Now you’re angry enough and now it sounds good!” (Much laughter) Seeb also performs on the song Turn Off The Light. Tell me about the inspiration behind that song and having Seb perform on it.

You know, the funny thing is, we haven’t done this is so many years – since I’m in the band we’ve never had a guest musician on an album. We’ve always wanted to have a guest musician on it. Then I told Seeb about it and then he asked me who I would want to have to be part of the album. We talked about people from the US, from Great Britain, from Sweden. And he said “Okay, Andy, the funny story is really you’re talking about so many musicians from all over the world, but a German metal icon lives more or less next to the studio, and you guys have known each other since so many years. Why don’t we ask him?” And I said, “Okay, do you think that’s possible?” And then we called him, and Peter “Peavy” Wagner of Rage just said “Yes, I’m fine with it.”

And Peavy did his part on Escape The Silence.

When this was done, I looked at Seeb and said “Now we have an old German metal icon being featured on the album. But now I would like to have a modern one – a new one – a guy that people have known for 4-5-6 years ago.” And then he looked at me and said, “Like who are you talking about?”

And I said, “Seeb, come on. Do not ask silly questions if you don’t want to have a silly answer.” Then he looked at me and said, “What’s next?” And I said, “Now you will go inside, and you will record, and I will kick your ass!” (Laughs) What came out at the end is just amazing. To be very honest, it makes me absolutely very proud – and it fits really 100 percent.

The lyrics are more less written from two sides. It’s about all the religious stuff – what happens when all the walls are closing in, and they leave you alone. And the master says more HIGHWIRE DAZE

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or less “I will turn off the light and then you are alone, and you will have the fight your own demons.” It made so much sense – and to me it’s one of my favorite tracks of all time on Brainstorm history.

You mentioned Escape The Silence. Let’s talk more about what it was like working with Peavy.

Peavy is really a German metal icon. Peavy is really this kind of guy – you must love, or you must hate him. In Germany we call him an original. He really is an original. He takes no prisoners – he tells you exactly what’s on his mind – whatever comes to his mind, he tells you – he lets you know! If he hates you, he’ll tell you. If he loves you, he’ll tell you. To me, that’s just so cool – as we’ve known each other for so many years – and then having him sing on the album is such a great feeling to me. This makes so much sense to me because this is something that happened because of friendship. It wasn’t a decision just because of selling records or promotion – it really happened because of friendship. And that are really cool!

The lyrics are really very dark, because it’s about a guy called Blaise Ferrage, and lived in the Southern part of France in the 18th century – and he killed many people and started to eat them. That was a very dark time for the French people down there, because they did not know what was going on, and in the end, he came to the villages and took the people and brought them away. After years, they found so many dead bodies all over the hills. It was very dark times. It was just one girl – she survived this, and she escaped the darkness and escaped the silence. So that’s it.

Ambiguity, your debut album for Brainstorm, had its 20th anniversary last year. Looking back, what you think of that particular album and the fact that you’ve done anything for 19

20 years and counting?

Ambiguity, that’s a long time ago. It was the time when I just started my own band Symphorce at the same time. And then I got this phone call that there’s some cool guys living next to my hometown searching for a new singer. And I was really like, okay, so then I listened to their... I think was their second album, and I thought, okay it doesn’t sound too bad. And then we met each other for the first time in their practicing room.

And the funny thing is they started to play the song, Beyond My Destiny, and they had no, no vocal lines. No nothing, but I started to sing on it, just with not really words, no real lyrics. And then we came out in the end. It’s really more or less let’s say 90% of what you have on the album as the vocal lines. And there were some friends of us in the practice room, they said, “this sounds amazing, the voice fits perfect to the music” and I was like, “okay, do you really think so?” It was a beginning of a now long-lasting friendship, let’s say this. So, it’s amazing.

But I still think that Crush Depth, the opening track, is definitely one of the heaviest songs we’ve ever written, It’s so really intense. It’s so in your face. It’s so aggressive. And I do remember the time when we’ve been on tour, I think it must have been the tour we play together with Armored Saint from the old days. And every night we started our set with Crush Depth, with this song, and I screamed out my lungs just for this song, I loved it. But for the next two, three songs, I was totally dead. I love the song, so I screamed the hell out of it. It was good times.

When you look back on your time with your other band Symphorce, what do you think of all that music now in retrospect?

With Symphorce, the dream for me came true for me to be very honest. And I always had this dream to form my own band. And I always wanted to play music as diverse as possible. And I think we reached this. I still think that the albums like Become Death and Twice Second are totally highlights in my career to be very honest. I’m so proud of these albums.

Sometimes when I look at the old recordings, the DVDs, for example, the live shows - I do see such a heavy band, all long hair, full hair, always head banging, we looked like sex monsters to be very honest. We looked really good. We were cool.

But I think for the main audience, the music was a little bit too diverse. Some said, yeah, it is too heavy, said others said, it’s too melodic. A good friend of mine, he bought the Become Death album and then he called me and said, “Okay, more or less, I can throw away my entire CD collection.” And I was like, “so why should you do that?” And he said, “Yeah, because in Symphorce, I have it all.” This was, in one way, an honor. On the other way, it showed me exactly the problem we had.

For the thrash metalheads, we’ve been the softies. For the 20

hairspray metal heads, we’ve been too thrashy or whatever.

But at the end, to be very honest, I never expected to bring my own band around the globe. And this is what I did. We played several tours. We also played in the U.S. It was just one show, but we did it. We did way more than I ever expected. And I think I made my partners in crime really proud as well. And I think we’ve done a good job. It was sad after 7 albums that we have to quit, but if you have nothing to say anymore, you should not record anything more. I think with the seventh album, everything was said and done, but I’m still proud of it.

I’m still listening to those albums. Nobody can take this away from me. It was a cool experience definitely.

Do you have any messages for Brainstorm fans out here in the States?

Of course. We do receive so many emails and messages from the fans, or from the States to be very honest. And it’s a shame for us that we haven’t been over for so many years now. But I can tell you that it is definitely one of our main goals for 2022, and for the entire Wall Of Skulls tour, that we will be back in the States because it always has been, and will be always my dream to play an entire Tour all over the U.S. From east coast to that west coast, and the only thing I can say so far, thank you so much for their support over all these years. And I can tell them, listen to and get your copy of Wall Of Skulls.. To me, a stunning album to be very honest.

https://www.brainstorm-web.net/ March/April 2022

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CRAZY LIXX: Hard Rocking Your World

Interview by Ken Morton - Photo by Joe Schaeffer Crazy Lixx is back and ready to rock your world! Their latest album Street Lethal has arrived via Frontiers Music Srl, and it’s jam packed with raging tunes! The band recently performed on the Monsters Of Rock Cruise, bringing the melodic rock party to the high seas! Prior to the Cruise, Highwire Daze caught up with lead vocalist Danny Rexon to find out more about the almighty Street Lethal, their 20th Anniversary as a band, workimg with Chez Kane, and more! ..

Is there any overall story or concept behind the Street Lethal title?

We usually have a loose concept – at least that’s what we’ve done for the past few albums. And I think it all started on 22

the Rough Justice album where the whole album process started with us getting requested to do the three songs for the Friday The 13th video game – which meant that the three songs were already planned before we started doing the album – they set the mood for the entire album after that. So, after the success of that, we wanted to replicate that same kind of working procedure – but since we didn’t have anything to work against, we kind of made up something instead. So, on the next album, we invented this hypothetical fighter pilot movie that we wanted to have as a source of inspiration. And the same went for this album, where we envisioned like a decade 80’s, 90’s martial arts kind of movie. So, stuff I grew up with basically and that I have been influenced with since then.

When I first looked at the album cover for Street Lethal, I March/April 2022

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thought this would make a great video game!

Yeah, actually it was supposed to look like a movie poster, but I agree it looks even more like a video game from that era. I was a Sega kid when I grew up – I played like Street Fighter, Streets Of Rage, Double Dragon, and stuff like that. I get the same feeling when I look at it, so I’m very happy with the results.

Let’s talk about a few of the songs. What was the inspiration behind the single Rise Above?

For that one, I kind of envisioned the last battle. It’s a bit strange – it’s the opening track on the album but at the same time lyrically it’s about this final confrontation that is kind of the last battle in this hypothetical movie. It revolves around making it to the end and fighting against all the evil that you can meet. So, you can of course choose to see it like a metaphor for other things in life, but I envision like an actual movie scene in a fighting situation. We thought it would work very well as an opening track, especially with the instrumental intro that we added later that I think sets the mood for the album very well.

Let’s talk about Anthem For America and the inspiration behind that one.

When I was growing up as a kid, being from Sweden, we were fed a lot of the American culture at the time. I’ve always been very inspired by it. When I was a kid, the US was undoubtedly the best country in the world, and we looked up to it in almost every aspect when it came to music and cartoons and comic books – everything that was coming from there was always so cool compared to what you had in your own country in Europe. So, this song is about the bit of disappointment I sometimes feel when I look at America today, because I feel that the kind of cultural impact America had in the 80’s and 90’s is more less gone – and in some ways has become the laughing stock of the world, which is sad because that’s not how I remember it when I was a kid.

It’s like a tongue and cheek reminder that the US used to be so great – especially when it came to rock music – and I’m just so sad to not seeing it anymore. The stuff that comes out from the US – first of all it’s not rock, usually – and when it is, I don’t think it has the same rebel kind of attitude that it used to have. So yeah, that’s what made me write that song.

Has Crazy Lixx ever played here in the United States or in the Los Angeles area?

We’ve done only one show in the US, and that was in Chicago at a festival. The problem has always been the work visa situation, which is complicated when it comes to paperwork, but also quite expensive. We have a show booked for the Monsters Of Rock Cruise in February – which will HIGHWIRE DAZE

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technically not happen in the US – but the US fans get to go on the cruise. We always try to plan other stuff and try to get the US in on our schedules. We’re looking into that now, but it also depends on how good the album is selling.

We have a big following in the US, so I’m a bit saddened that we don’t get to play there more than we’ve had.

You produced this new Crazy Lixx album. You also produced the Chez Kane album. How did you become involved with that, and what was it like producing another artist?

For me, it was a very big step forward. As you say, I’ve been producing the Crazy Lixx albums for the last three albums – and I had actually been co-producing them earlier than that. There’s a big difference producing your own band and someone else – obviously, you can distance yourself in a certain way when you’re doing someone else. Actually, it was Frontiers our label that asked me if I would be interested in doing some production work outside – and I think by that time I had matured enough by producing our own albums that I was feeling confident in taking on someone else. I told them I wasn’t interested in doing another band project where I would be part of the band, but I would be interested in writing songs and finding the solo artists. And it was my own idea that we were going with a female solo artist – because there are a lot of retro 80’s artists with male singers – but I think there are very few female 80’s retro bands. And I always loved bands like Heart – so I always thought there was something in that department missing.

From the success we’ve seen, I think that there’s actually some truth to that. A lot of people seem to enjoy that music, and they haven’t heard it for quite a while. What I am 23

working on now is a follow up to Chez Kane – the first one was very successful, so we’re hoping to have it out sometime before the summer.

2022 marks the 20th Anniversary of Crazy Lixx. What has it been like to do something – anything – for 20 years?

Well, you know a lot of people have actually told us about the 20th anniversary, and I never thought about it until they mentioned it because in a way it does mark the 20th anniversary of the band getting started, but we were quite slow to the start. We only had the record deal for the first album – that was released in 2007. We had a period where we were trying to get someone to work with, but it was slow from the start. And also from that time, we’ve changed members a lot. I think the first really stable line up was with the New Religion album – that was the lineup that held for 5-6 years. And then of course we have the new lineup.

In a way I see it as it is the same band – but looking back as 20 years ago, it’s just me and the drummer who are still in the band. It was totally different people, and we were doing totally different stuff. We were basically going in a van through Sweden playing small bars and stuff. So much has changed. Also, the music industry back then - you kind of had the idea that if you got a record deal and had a CD out,

then you were set – that was the goal back then because the CD was a big thing. And that all changed during our career, and online playing has become a whole lot more important.

You know, it’s been a part of my life for so long. I also have a bit of a problem feeling it’s the 20th anniversary, because I usually start the calendar at 2007 when the first album was released – so maybe it’s been 15 years. But in reality, yes, it’s been 20 years when we got started.

Do you have any messages for your fans out here in the United States?

I hope we will be able to come over and play, and I do hope that this album will also be liked by the younger audience because we tend to get the audience that kind of listened to this stuff back in the day. We’re of course hoping to break through to the younger audience as well. When we had the video game, we noticed that we were able to reach out to younger audiences as well. But yeah, I hope we are able to come over and play if the pandemic isn’t too bad. It would be awesome to visit the West Coast definitely! It’s on the bucket list…

https://www.crazylixx.com/

Promoting the all new full length album, "Down In Wuhan" out August 28, 2021.

World-wide on all major platforms

Thursday, April 21, 2022

with ENUFF Z’NUFF

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WHISKY A GO GO

March/April 2022

HIGHWIRE DAZE

CRYSTAL BALL: BEYOND 2020 AND INTO THE AGE OF CRYSTERIA

Interview by Ken Morton

whole lot more!

Crystal Ball has returned, ready to launch into their third epic decade of melodic rock and metal. These Swiss legends recently unleashed Crysteria upon the world via Massacre Records, and it’s certainly a rock-solid way to kick off the New Year. Crystal Ball’s first endeavor since their career defining 2020 Greatest Hits collection, Crysteria presents the next grand and glorious chapter from this iconic collective. Highwire Daze recently interviewed founding member Scott Leach to find out more about the auditory visions of Crysteria, working with producer Stefan Kaufmann of Accept and U.D.O. on this and their many other albums, collaborations with the likes of Jaded Heart and the omnipresent Ronnie Romero (Michael Schenker, ex-Vandenberg), and a

First of all, Scott, how does Crysteria compare to the previous Crystal Ball albums? It’s been a while since new original music.

That’s right, Ken. Well, I think this is one of our best efforts so far. I mean, maybe that’s “says every musician about the latest record.” In this case, I feel really and also from the feedbacks that we’ve got so far. It’s maybe not the best, or maybe one of the better or the best ones we did so far because as artists we evolved, and we learn every time. We’ve been doing it a while, so I hope this really pays off.

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When you release that previous album 2020 in 2019, did you have any idea at all that the year 2020 would turn March/April 2022

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out to be so crazy, and then it would be a while before you would be active again?

No, not at all, of course. I mean, 2020 came out in 2019 and the thought behind it was twenty years of Crystal Ball history with 20 songs. That was the concept of the album. Of course, instead of touring, we’ve been kind of waiting two years and doing nothing but songwriting actually. Nobody would have thought of that.

Definitely. Now, the new CD Crysteria opens with a song called What Part of No. Tell me a little bit about that song and what that song means to you.

It’s just a really strong guitar riff, really high energy song that probably will be also the live opener. I mean, it’s not 100% decided yet, but it looks it. It makes sense to open up with a bang. Lyrically, it’s a funny story behind that because during the pandemic, we had several “trolls”— guys that just type bullshit on your social media page and stuff. I said, “I’m not going to argue with you guys” and they kept going and I said “What part of no did you not understand?” Out of that attitude, that song– it’s that attitude actually. A little bit aggressiveness but also positive energy.

The song Call of the Wild features Ronnie Romero who’s been in a thousand bands, including participating on Michael Schenker’s recent album. How did Ronnie become involved with that song?

It happened that we played a couple of festivals together with Ronnie Romero. He used to sing in a Swiss band called CoreLeoni. So, we met live backstage, we talked, and he’s a really nice guy. I think he digs our sound and music too. When we had the idea for a duet, we got in touch with him and he said yes right away, which made us really happy and proud to have such an amazing singer on our record.

You’ve also had your friend’s Jaded Heart on one of the songs called Crystal Heart. How did that collaboration come about?

It was actually an idea of our singer Steven. The reason was we had this tour coming up in January, February this year and Jaded Heart was supposed to be on tour with us as our support, as our special guest. We thought the bands have known each other for such a long time. Let’s do like a band duet. Not only distinguish singing a song, but really the bands write that song together. So we started exchanging ideas, riffs, parts and bits. So, that song is really written by both bands. The idea was to promote that tour, which is now unfortunately called off due to well-known reasons.

Well, hopefully you guys can play that song together one day. Also, I’d love to see Ronnie Romero do his song HIGHWIRE DAZE

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with you. Now, you do have a new guitar player Peter Berger. Tell me a little about his background and how he became involved with Crystal Ball.

We had to look for a new guitar player because Tony, our old player, left the band. We wrote down some requirements, you know, what should that guy be like. Of course, he needs to play guitar. He needs to be able to sing. He needs to be a songwriter. It would be cool if he had long hair. He fit outright, came out of the same country and so on. Actually, Peter fulfilled all those ideas we had and it’s really a perfect match for us. He brought in great ideas of his own. He played in several bands like a Swiss band called Killer and in a progressive band called Appearance of Nothing, and even more bands. He is an experienced studio and live player and is a really great new member of the band now.

And of course, you had Stefan Kaufmann producing.

What was it like working with Stefan Kaufmann of Accept and U.D.O. infamy?

It’s always a pleasure to work with him, even though he has produced many albums meanwhile with us. He’s like a sixth band member, because we know each other so well. He knows what each musician can do, and we know how he’s working. We don’t have to talk a lot because we can kind of feel each other. It’s so great to work with him, because we can always learn still after the eighth production. We can always learn from him and he pulls out the best performance of each musician at the time.

So, it’s always amazing how we can improve the songs by just twisting little things or adding little things or sometimes just leaving things away. Whatever it takes, he always adds that extra percentage that make the songs even better.

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What was it like recording this album and creating this album in the middle of the pandemic? And how did this pandemic influence the new songs, if at all?

It’s a great question. I can’t really put my finger on it, because I don’t know how it would have turned out without the pandemic. It’s hard to tell whether that influenced our mood. Generally, I think the album is more uplifting positive. So, not really depressed or something like that.

So, I don’t know if that was an influence or not. But the process was kind of regular like the other albums. The only thing we did not know, when we booked the studio, we didn’t know if it would be possible to travel to another country to record or would there be restrictions. If that had been the case, we would have done it like modern technique with sending files back and forth through Zoom or Skype. But fortunately, we could just go into the studio like we always did. So, not big of a difference there.

With a band that’s been around like you have since 1999, there’s all kinds of anniversaries you’re going to start having. One such anniversary is the 20-year anniversary of your album Virtual Empire. When you look back on that album and think you recorded it 20 years ago, what do you think of the album now in retrospect?

It’s also a good question. I wasn’t even aware of the fact that it’s 20 years now, but it’s good that you remind me.

Well, I think it’s the best we could do at the time and there’s still some good songs on it. That was the reason we chose two songs from Virtual Empire to be on the best of 2020 album. Looking at it from my point of view now, of course, I would have done a lot of things differently, but I guess that’s normal after 20 years. So, I was still quite young and since then, I gained a lot of experiences. And so, I’m not listening to it every day to be honest. But yeah, there’s some moments on that album.

Has Crystal Ball ever played here in the States, or is that something you would like to do in the future?

Unfortunately, we haven’t played in the United States yet.

We would love to do that, of course, and it would be great to start maybe with a festival or something. A tour is very unlikely at the moment anyway, but it’s just a big thing financially. So, to start break in at any festival will be great or maybe a cruise or something like that. We just need some promoter to book the band, get the band over and we would be ready and we would love to play of course.

What has kept you so passionate about Crystal Ball since 1999?

I think it’s the music itself and of course, having the right people around you in the band. This would not work if the members would hate each other. It wouldn’t last 20 years.

Even though we had some lineup changes, the core lineup was the same for more than 10 years in the first phase or 28

the first decade, and it’s the same for another 10 years now. I think the essence is good chemistry in the band and bring what you like, which is the kind of music that we make. It’s not about money. It’s not about the fame. It’s just about five guys playing music together. I think that is the thing that keeps us going.

Anyone Can Be a Hero, to me, is like the classic Crystal Ball song. Give me a little background on that song and then we’ll do the final question.

Sure. Yeah, I love that song too. I mean it was the first song of our comeback with the new lineup. It’s almost 10 years ago already. The lyrics were written by Ricky Gee, he is an English man living in Germany. So, he was like an outside prolific writer that we sometimes collaborate with. We dug his lyrics from the first moment and we’re really happy that that song happened. It’s running great on YouTube and so on, and it’s such a classic in our live set always.

Do you have any messages for Crystal Ball fans here in the United States?

I would like to encourage the listeners to give Crysteria a chance and listen to it. And maybe something not everybody might know, we have a limited box set of that album, which you cannot download. It features a poster, flag, signed autograph card, a patch, and of course the CD. So, that’s something for maybe collectors and fans who really like the old school stuff, not digitally. Yeah, you can get that as long as it’s available.

https://www.crystal-ball.ch/en/ March/April 2022

HIGHWIRE DAZE

Constance Antoinette Presents Raging New Single Freakshow

Interview by Ken Morton - Photos by Jack Lue Constance Antoinette first showed an interest jn music and performing arts at the age of 3, and has been rocking the world ever since. A graduate of the famed Musicians Institute of Hollywood, Constance has acheived quite a music and acting career ever since. Constance has appeared on GLEE playing alongside the one and only Adam Lambert and is a member of Shiragirl. In addition, Constance is pursuing a solo career, recently issuing a standout single and video entitled Freakshow!

Highwire Daze recently caught up with Constance to discuss the making of Freakshow, working with the likes of Jerry Only of the Misfits on She De30

mons, her current performances with Shiragirl and the Gritty In Pink project, and more! Read on...

What was the inspiration behind your new single Freakshow?

So LennyJ. (the producer) and I were messing around in the studio and I wrote the guitar riff. It turned out sounding kind of like a creepy circus, so the name Freakshow came to mind. A lot of us hide quite a lot from the world. So many of my close friends and even I, myself have been bullied and shunned going against the “norm”. Freakshow is a safe place for all of us “freaks” to be ourselves.

Who directed the amazing video for Freakshow and who were some of the performers who participated March/April 2022

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in it?

The amazingly talented, Alicia Agramonte directed Freakshow. We wrote the concept together and she really brought it to life. All of the “freaks” in my video are personal friends of mine! I’m so lucky to have such talented friends.

Another recent single you did was a song called Positions. Tell about your collaboration on that song with LennyJ. and the story behind the song.

Well to be honest, when I first heard the Ariana Grande song I immediately wanted to make it pop punk. I hit up LennyJ. and he was down so we decided to just cover it and have fun.

Your first solo single was entitled Ghost Girl. What is the background or story behind that song?

Ghost Girl is about the harsh reality and inevitability of losing your innocence, whether it may be from years of being hardened, personal experiences, or abuse. This causes a “ghost girl” of the child I once was. Sadly, I have faced many negatives down the road of life and this song asks if I would be better off remembering and embracing my past self. Fun fact, I’m remastering, well redoing, Ghost Girl. Be on the lookout for when I drop it in the next few weeks.

How did you wind up in the Shiragirl band?

I was actually playing a gig with a different band and Shira was there. Funny enough, she didn’t stay to say hello so I had no idea who she was. A week passes and I get a DM from Shiragirl. Before you know it, I’m playing Warped Tour with them!

What is one of your favorite or most memorable Gritty In Pink performances?

Definitely the first one. We had such an amazing show and I remember being so happy the whole night surrounded by such amazing people.

For those who have never been, what could one expect from a live Gritty In Pink show?

Definitely a bunch of bad ass talented women melting your face with good music.

One of your acting credits was on the show GLEE where you played guitar with Adam Lambert. What was performing with Adam Lambert on GLEE like?

Adam is really sweet! Hung out with us musicians on set and wasn’t snooty like the rest of the cast.

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What was it like working with Jerry Only of the Misfits on She Demons and is there any chance of a reunion at this point?

Jerry is definitely a character. He’s a very kind and warm person, but also quite spontaneous. He makes everyone feel like part of the family. If enough people ask, we’re going to have to do a reunion show!

Are you currently involved with any other bands and projects outside of your solo work and Shiragirl?

Nope! Just my solo project and Shiragirl, however I am going to be performing my solo music this year with my own band!

What’s up next for you?

I have a bunch of singles ready to go. Expect a good amount of music coming your way. \m/

https://www.instagram.com/missgibsongirl/ 31

J ACKL UEPHOT OGRAPHY PRE SE NT E DBY

HI GHWI REDAZ EMAGAZ I NE

AUDIO REIGN GOES INTERNATIONAL

Interview by Ken Morton Photo by Kory Williams ‘The man with the camera’

guitarist for Audio Reign. Audio Reign was originally formed back in 2011.

Audio Reign is a dynamic modern rock band from Australia ready to break it out all over this great big world!

Signed to MR Records, their well received Self-Titled endeavor is receiving a worldwide release at long last!

Featuring three exclusive Bonus Tracks, the International Deluxe Edition is now available and ready to enrapture music fans all across Planet Earth! And if you want a free copy of their CD, find out how to win one at the end of this interview!

Where is the band based out of and what is your local music scene like there?

Audio Reign is based in the town of Adelaide, South Australia. We all live in surrounding suburbs of Adelaide, but nothing’s too far away here. We rehearse at Ash’s house (bass player for AR) and he lives about a half hour drive from my house. The music scene for the last couple of years here has been dead (as you’d understand due to the pandemic) but prior to that, it was pretty healthy. There were always plenty of gigs to go and check out and a wide variety of bands and music styles to experience no matter what your taste.

Highwire Daze recently caught up with Jake Fleming, the charasmatic front man from Audio Reign, to find out a whole lot more about this very amazing band on the rise!

Introduce yourself, tell me what you do in Audio Reign, and how long the band has been together.

Hi, I’m Jake Fleming. I am lead vocalist and rhythm 34

How did you wind up signing with MR Records?

MR Records had brought Kip Winger out to Australia in 2020 for a solo run of shows. They needed a support for the show and our manager Kris Peters rang me within a March/April 2022

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few days of the gig and said “Can you guys possibly get an acoustic set together to support Kip Winger?”. I said “Sure we can, give me the details and we’ll be ready” thinking to myself we haven’t played barely any of our music together acoustically (haha). An emergency rehearsal was had the next night and it all seemed to come together very naturally and sounded even better than we had expected. We played the stripped back intimate acoustic support a couple of nights later and nailed it.

It was this performance that caught the eyes and ears of MR Records. Kris came to us after the show and said the label loved our performance and wanted to work with us.

Fast forward to now and here we are releasing our International Deluxe Edition to the world. The MR team have been awesome and really believe in our sound, style and what we’re driving to achieve with band.

Your Self Titled debut is being re-released on MR Records. Tell me about how the International Deluxe Edition came about.

Our debut self-titled album was released in Australia and was quite well received here, but never made the breakthrough that we were hoping for. We had begun writing again and decided that we were going to drop some singles and release an EP from the singles. One of those singles was our pandemic inspired heavy anthem ‘Relentless’ which was our first release with MR in 2021.

Upon further deep discussions with MR, the label told us that they believed our debut album was a powerhouse and really deserved worldwide recognition. It was at this point that the forthcoming EP was put on the backburner and the whole redesigning and repackaging of our debut album (complete with new cover art from world renowned album designer Nello Dell’Omo) became the focus. This album was to become the ‘International Deluxe Edition” designed to introduce Audio Reign to the world featuring the original eleven tracks and three bonus tracks. The band and label have since decided to scrap the EP and bring out another full-length album hopefully dropping late 2022 or early 2023.

Interesting fact I was only just made aware of is that MR Records had actually produced a finished physical copy of the intended EP ‘Blinding Light’ before we scrapped the idea, so there are some rare unreleased EP’s lying around MR Headquarters (haha).

One of the new tracks on the album is entitled Angel.

Tell me a little about the track and what inspired the lyrics.

I wrote Angel some years ago as an acoustic song and hadn’t done anything with it. When we got back together writing for the proposed EP (now intended new album), I remembered that I had the song tucked away and decided to bring it to the band. We worked on the arrangement and HIGHWIRE DAZE

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Audio Reign’ed it to turn it into the heavy power ballad it was born to become.

The song is about a love triangle. Short story: Girl is in the midst of a breakup from a long term relationship and starts seeing a new guy. Old flame is trying to get her back and pulling on her emotional heart strings. New guy can’t live like this and needs to know where he stands and where she wants to be, and so asking the question in the song ‘Angel’.

Everyone has been there, right? (haha).

Tell me about the inspiration behind the other two bonus songs Relentless and Forgotten You. ‘Relentless’ was written during the pandemic. It was (and still is to some extent) a frustrating and devastating time for our band and the whole music industry. I have always said no matter what we have lined up for Audio Reign, we always need another ‘bullet in the chamber’ ready to go.

This statement formed the basis of the song Relentless and the song became a statement of intent; That no matter what life throws at us, we would never give up. We will be back.

We are Relentless!

‘Forgotten You’ is about an impossible relationship. One person has given their all to the other, but the other is so self obsessed, self centered and manipulating in the relationship which has forced the toxic situation to this climax.

With absolutely destroyed love and trust, the good person delivers a strong message. (haha).

What was the experience like opening for Skillet and Pop Evil?

It’s always a huge buzz when you get to open for such high profile International bands. Skillet and Pop Evil were super friendly and both ‘Leigh Kakaty’(Pop Evil) and 35

‘John Cooper’ (Skillet) took time to chat to me before the shows which is nice because its not always that way.

One of the most memorable things that sticks in my mind is when we opened for Skillet. It was a packed house and we were to come on right before Skillet. As usual with these shows, it’s a bit nerve wrecking because you’re about to play to a crowd that most probably don’t know who you are and are basically there to rock out to the main band – being Skillet. We played our first song and that was it! That was all we needed to do. We went off! The whole audience was brilliant, cheering after each song and so supportive of us and our music. When we finished the show we headed to our merch stand to greet anyone that wanted to meet us and just about sold out of all our merchandise (haha).

Jake, your day job is that of a fireman. What has that experience been like especially during the pandemic, and do they know that you are in a band?

To be honest, it’s just been business as usual. I work at the busiest station in South Australia and so we get our fair share of structure fires (both legit and arson). Our station is in a working-class area with a fairly high rate of crime so there are a lot of stolen vehicle fires and random hard rubbish fires on the street. We also get a lot of MVA’s (motor vehicle accidents) and road crash rescues due to the high speeds of the roads in the area. And if that’s not enough, when someone has a problem and doesn’t know who to

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call, they don’t call The A Team anymore…. They call us (haha). All the shifts on the station know I’m in Audio Reign and a lot of them refer to me as ‘Rockstar’ (haha).

They’re all great guys and are like family… After my real family… and my brothers in Audio Reign (lol).

What’s up next for Audio Reign?

Lots of bullets in the chamber!! New music coming, new music videos coming, new support announcements coming, more shows coming, and most of all, working to build our fanbase all over the world so that when we do get abroad, we’ve got a S%#*load of people to rock the F%*# out with!! Bring it on!

Any final words of wisdom?

Be excellent to each other, Be the best version of yourself, remember to laugh and smile, Don’t ever let RnR die, Never give up, Be Relentless, Check out AUDIO REIGN!

https://www.audioreign.com/

We have 8 copies of the Audio Reign International Deluxe Edition to giveaway courtesy of MR Records! Be one of the first 8 people to email hdaze2@yahoo.com and say “I want an Audio Reign CD!” and we will send your way!

March/April 2022

HIGHWIRE DAZE

Dale Bozzio’s New Book LIFE IS SO STRANGE Order your autographed copy today! www.dalebozzio.today

SHIFTING TIME with

DAVID HUFF of GIANT

Interview by Ken Morton - Photo by Enzo Mazzeo Giant has released their fifth studio magnum opus entitled Shifting Time, launching the next compelling chapter of a brilliant career in music. Now anchored by founding members David Huff and Mike Brignardello, the two are joined by guitarist John Roth (Winger, Starship) and vocalist Kent Hilli (Perfect Plan).

Originally formed in the late ’80s by brothers Dann and David Huff, Giant became well known for their first two landmark albums Last Of The Runaways (A&M Records, 1989), and Time to Burn (Epic, 1991). With the sudden change of musical climate in the early ’90s, Giant disbanded with both Dann and David Huff becoming well respect38

ed producers within the industry. The band would eventually work on two more albums – III (2001) and Promise Land (2010), the latter featuring Terry Brock of Strangeways and Seventh Key. And now with the unveiling of Shifting Time, the modern-day Giant is ready to present their exhilarating brand of melodic rock to the world once more!

Highwire Daze recently interviewed founding member David Huff to discuss the past, present, and glorious future of the almighty Giant! Read on…

We’re here with David Huff from Giant. First of all, what made you decide that during a pandemic would be the perfect time to release a brand-new Giant album.

Well, none of us saw the pandemic coming, right? We love March/April 2022

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challenges. It just happened. In all seriousness. It just happened to be the right time to do a record. And other than the fact that Kent (Hilli from Perfect Plan) lives in Sweden, it wasn’t too much of a problem, because Mike obviously lives in Nashville. and John lives in Memphis, which is three hours from here. It was just a good time to make another record. And the label had approached me about a year before and asked if we’d make a record. And I was always open to it, but Terry Brock was involved in some other stuff and the label had a couple suggestions. They mentioned Kent. I had seen Kent on a video, he did a remake of the Giant song Stay. And I always loved his voice and I was like, man, absolutely for that! So, the pandemic, I don’t know how it affected everybody – but isolation somewhat from reality, in the real world, man, making music – it was, and it is the best gift that was given to us during the pandemic. I can tell you that for sure.

And then John Roth from Winger and Starship. How did he become involved?

John Roth is a badass player too. Great guy! I’ve said this many times – Kent’s a badass singer and even better person and John’s the same way. I can’t remember where I met John. He’s one of those guys that you feel like I’ve known him my whole life. He is a great guitar player. Once I heard him, man! It was no question. If he had the time to spend on us, and he did! And we’ve had a great working relationship with John.

And then, of course, you have Alessandro del Vecchio who’s been helping you out. He’s in like in a million and one bands. What was it like working with him?

Same thing man. I had worked with him before. I think he mixed some things that I worked on. We spoke many, many times on this project. We went into the project, and they asked me and Mike to produce the record and we did. And as we got into it – I affectionately call Alessandro “the Swiss army knife of rock and roll music.” He can do anything and everything -and he quickly helped in the songs. And then I heard some demos, and I was “Oh man, your background vocals! Hey, you want to help out in the background vocals and on keyboards?” And he mixed it. So, Mike and I we’re like “Man we got to give this guy production credit because he’s basically a fifth member of Giant!“ Shifting Time, tell me a little about that title. And is there any overall concept behind it?

It was a collaborative effort from the label and us. It’s more kind like when you get down to it, it’s about evolution of oneself and music. Music is no different, bands, you evolve.

A lot of people see Giant as the first two records Last Of The Runaways and Time To Burn. And we love that. We’re proud of those records, but also you evolve, you evolve as people – you evolve as a band. And so, Shifting Time was a HIGHWIRE DAZE

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great title for us and where we’re moving as the band Giant.

Would you like to tour in support of Shifting Time?

Absolutely! Two things, one – we’re in negotiations to work on filming a live show with the label and depending on the pandemic, how it’s going, obviously, here in the US, we feel a little bit more hope. It seems like the peak is about done, so cross your fingers that that’s true. And it’s hard to plan something right this second because I’ve been working a lot of records that these guys are touring arenas and stadiums and therr shows are so iffy. They do a tour and then they cancel it. We’re waiting just a little bit and see where this pandemic goes. And yes, we would love to tour. Absolutely.

When you look back on those first two Giant albums, Last Of The Runaways, and Time To Burn. What do you think of them now, in retrospect? I think at least one of them was re-released on Rock Candy Records.

Yeah, I saw that. I don’t know how it did. But yeah, those were some magical times in the US. Rock and roll was a very healthy diet on the main pop charts, in the Billboard charts – and it was very magical, exciting time. We toured a ton. We made the first one over in Europe.

And things changed a little bit in that rock and roll landscape with great bands, like Pearl Jam and Nirvana. But those times when we made those records, it was really nice because we got to spend an enormous amount of time making records. And that’s just such a valuable thing that that we’ve lost – that ability to spend that much time on a record.

So, you had to evolve. We had to figure out ways to make great records, even without all that extended amount of time.

But man, those memories are great. I mean, phenomenal 39

memories, making those records and touring and just being a part of that industry.

Your brother Dann is no longer an active member in the band. What was the best and worst part about working with your brother in Giant and your previous band White Heart?

Dann and I are best friends. We have worked together.

Literally, we have been making records playing for different people and artists since high school. And we have worked together on countless records every week ever since high school. It’s the best thing in the world.

I’m sad that he can’t devote the time to be in the band Giant, but he supports it 1000 percent. He’s been involved in both of the last two records and he loves it. If I didn’t have him to work every single week on different things, I would be incredibly depressed. But so that being said, he loves Giant. He loves the band how it sounds. He’s very, very pro thumbs up.

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One of your brother’s credits was working with Michael Jackson. Did he tell you what it was like working with the one and only Michael Jackson?

The funny thing is in our family, we don’t talk about music a ton, which is very probably odd for anybody MetalBabeMayhem.com else to expect. Our father was in music – a world class string arranger who worked with Celine Dion, Amy Grant, Michael Crawford, Luther Vandross. So in FREE GIFT WITH COUPON CODE HWDGIFT22 *Exp. 4/15/22 our family, it was a great dynamic growing up. Our parents, we don’t have our father anymore, but my mom is still living. They were avid readers. So, music was project to be involved in. one part of our lives. It was an important part, but it’s one part. We were more about talking about philosophies, you What do you hope that 2022 brings for you and for Giant? know, families, kids. That kind of stuff, books and just world We have been really overwhelmed with the positive support events when we get together. So getting back to that. No, from this record, the fans, I got to be honest. It was so long he never talked about. Really, I don’t remember any converago. I just didn’t know if we still had fans – and I have to sations. We all work with some pretty big artists. And that eat those words, because the fans and the press have been being said, we don’t diss artist. so kind and very supportive, and it really means a lot. So, in 2022, I hope we get to play some shows. I don’t know One artist I believe you both work together on was Taylor if you know this – Dann and I and Mike played a benefit Swift. What was that experience like working with Taylor for a buddy who lost his home in Nashville, due to a fire. It Swift? was 2017 I think. One of his favorite bands was Giant. So, Awesome. Consummate professional, beautiful energy. She we ended up playing three songs at the benefit to help them has talent coming out of her ears, and you just gotta love raise some money, and we had a gas! It was a lot of fun – somebody that is so nose to the grindstone, blinders on, and and it was almost like riding bikes. When you get back on! just goes about business. And but a kind person too – a very, I was like, wow! We really miss this. So hopefully we can very kind, giving person. do some shows. That’s our goal.

Now are you currently involved with any other bands or projects outside of GIANT? I’m in a band called Skills. There’s going to be an album coming out (in May). It’s on Frontiers with a couple of band mates Billy Sheehan and Brad Gillis! We just shot some videos here in Nashville, believe it or not. It was a fun 40

Shifting Time by Giant is now available via Frontiers Music Srl!

https://www.facebook.com/Giant.The.Band March/April 2022

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MEET FRANCESCO MARRAS from SCREAMING SHADOWS and TYGERS OF PAN TANG

Screaming Shadows Interview by Ken Morton Screaming Shadows present power metal in its finest hour, in the grand tradition of greats such as Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, and Rainbow. Founded by guitarist Francesco Marras on the dawning of the 21st century, Screaming Shadows recently unleashed Legacy Of Stone upon the world at large. Legacy Of Stone is their fifth glorious magnum opus, and it’s a work of heavy metal artistry that should inspire genre fans all around the world. In addition to his own long running band, Francesco Marras recently joined the legendary Tygers Of Pan Tang, and is featured on their just released A New Heartbreak EP. Highwire Daze recently interviewed Francesco Marras to find out more about the mighty Screaming Shadows and their Legacy Of Stone endeavor, joining the ranks of Tygers Of Pan Tang, his own solo project, and a whole lot more! Read on…

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Introduce yourself, tell me what you do in Screaming Shadows and how long the band has been together.

Screaming Shadows have always been my band that I founded in 1998 and, even though the name was different in the early works, it was just my quest to create a metal band.

The name Screaming Shadows was first used in 2001.

Over the years we have released the albums: Behind The Mask in 2003, In The Name of God in 2006 and New Era of Shadows in 2009 both for My Graveyard Productions, Night Keeper in 2011 for Jolly Roger Records.

Where is the band based out of and what is your local music scene like there?

The band is born in Sardinia (Italy), in Sassari, my hometown but actually I’m living in Germany. The bass player is from Germany too, his name is Jürgen Steinmetz and he March/April 2022

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Tygers of Pan Tang was the bass player of a famous power metal band named Silent Force. The other musicians are from Sardinia. In the past two years, the European music scene has come to stop due to the pandemic, so now it’s even more difficult for musicians to play live and promote records. In Sardinia in winter there are very few clubs to play live while in summer, with the tourists and open-air festivals, the situation is a bit better.

Is there any overall story or concept behind the Legacy Of Stone title?

We used some symbols to explain the meaning of the rebirth: the gargoyle is a fantastic being who lives a cyclical life, is reborn every night to return to stone at the first light of dawn, we also used fire ouroboros produced by his hands.

Cyclical life is a concept dear to Screaming Shadows because we have never had a continuity, the lineup has always changed, you could say that the band has died and reborn many times.

The word legacy expresses our desire to create a record that could represent what we are today, while maintaining, resuming and developing the concepts and the musical solutions that we have used all these years, an evolution of our music which however remains linked to what we have done previously.

Select two songs from Legacy Of Stone and what inspired the lyrics.

Free Me and Shake Your Blood. The themes of my lyrics are inspired above all by reflections on life. I would like to convey a message of positivity, inviting and pushing people to understand the things are really important in life, in search of inner freedom and peace, not to waste even a minute of this HIGHWIRE DAZE

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life and what it has to offer us. A kind of carpe diem.

Who produced Legacy Of Stone and what was it like working with them?

Legacy Of Stone is the band’s first record entirely produced by me, that’s why it’s very important to me. During the writing, arrangement and production of the songs, one of the main goals was to create inspired songs with the right balance between melody and power, with strong choruses that immediately catch the listener.

I started working on the production of this record about 5/6 years ago, at that time I was still living in Sardinia and I had a small recording studio where I recorded all the material but I did the last mix in Germany, in a studio that I created in the house where I currently live. The mastering is done by my dear friend Mattia Stancioiu.

Who did the amazing cover art for Legacy Of Stone and how much input did you have on it?

The cover was made by a very good French designer, who works for the main metal bands in Europe, his name is Stan W Decker. When I contacted him to make the cover, I only told him that I wanted a gargoyle as main subject and that I would like to represent the cyclical nature of events, the continuous recurrence of some elements and I must say that he created a true masterpiece, the most beautiful cover we’ve ever had.

What could one expect from a live Screaming Shadows show?

Like so many bands that have written the history of heavy metal, we do not aim for stage effects, make-up or theatricality, but simply to play our music with passion and determination. So, I would say: a powerful and impactful show.

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If Screaming Shadows could open for any band either now or from the past, who would it be and why?

Obviously for Iron Maiden, because they are the band we all adore and have grown up with. Getting to know them, playing before them during their concert, would be the realization of a dream.

How did you wind up in Tygers Of Pan Tang?

It happened during the first lockdown, a friend of mine told me that Tygers Of Pan Tang were looking for a new guitar player and that I could be perfect with them! So I sent them the video of 2 songs, Hellbound and Don’t Stop By, both from the Spellbound album. They were interested and Jacopo Meille (singer of the band) called me at the phone and I joined the band. Then we wrote the songs for the new album in just a couple of months, working in distance. A New Heartbeat, the new EP by Tygers, is available on the official band’s website and it is the first record with me on guitar!

Would Tygers Of Pan Tang and Screaming Shadows ever want to tour or do a show together, or has that already happened?

Unfortunately, it never happened, mainly because, due to the pandemic in progress, I haven’t played live with Tygers Of Pan Tang yet. It would be great for me to be able to play with both bands, but it would also be very physically demanding…

Are you involved with any other bands or projects outside of Tygers Of Pan Tang and Screaming Shadows?

I love to compose music and I’m a session musician so yes, I’m involved in so many projects. As a solo artist I released 44

the instrumental albums Black Sheep (2011) and Time Flies (2018) and soon I will release my new solo record which this time will not be instrumental and will see me for the first time as a singer, the music genre will be Hard rock inspired by big names like Deep Purple, Whitesnake, Guns N’ Roses, etc. As a session musician I have played on many records, visit my official page on Facebook to see them all.

Just about every band and musician in Europe has worked with the amazing Alessandro Del Vecchio including Screaming Shadows. What was it like working with Alessandro and do you still keep in touch with him?

I am always in contact with Ale, for example I recorded the guitars for the James Robledo record which he recently produced and was released by Frontiers in 2021. It was recorded during the lockdown. We have known each other for many years and we have worked a lot together, we have played live with Terry Brock, Toby Hitchcock, Angelica, etc. For me he has always been a source of inspiration, as well as a great singer and keyboard player. He is featured in many songs of my production such as Zion (on Time Flies) Here To Stay (Black Sheep) and Midnight (Night Keeper).

Any final words of wisdom?

Thank you very much for the interview. I’d like to salute all the readers and invite them to follow me and my bands on social media. The Screaming Shadows new album Legacy Of Stone is available in CD format on our official website at the following link www.screamingshadows.com, in digital on iTunes, Spotify, YouTube, Amazon mp3.

When you hear screaming… The shadows rule!!!

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In the Groove with Rene Camacho: Bass Player of the Band “War.”

Interview by Kim Crain Photos Compliments of Rene Camacho

PART TWO I had the opportunity to sit down with Rene Camacho a versatile, powerhouse on bass! From the recording studio to the stage!

Rene, bass player of the super group, War. Originally called Eric Burdon and War. During the late 60’s early 70’s, War was a mix of elements of rock, funk, jazz, calypso, psychedelia and reggae. If you have a few hours to spare you might be able to listen to all their hits, War is best known for, “Lowrider”, ”Why Cant We Be Friends”, ”Cisco Kid”, ”The World is a Ghetto,” and their first hit with Burdon, “Spill the Wine,” which got the band their start. The Press after their first show at Hyde Park in London, said, ‘Burdon and War were the best band we have ever seen’!

War had nine Gold, and two platinum, records. Their album, The World is a Ghetto, was Billboard’s best-selling album of the year in 1973. The band transcended racial and cultural barriers with a multi-ethnic line up.

Rene Camacho youngest and newest member of the band has been playing in War for seven years accompanied by the only original in the band, Lonnie Leroy Jordan, a founding member!

Kim: What would you say to other musicians out there trying to make it?

Rene: The music industry is forever changing, especially right now in these weird times that we are in. Keep the faith. Try to move forward the best you can.

Rene Camacho with Pancho Sanchez Music Group ex-singer of the Animals - Burdon was voted top 100 singers of all time by Rolling Stone magazine, who regarded him as one of the British invasions most distinctive singers with his deep powerful blues rock voice. Now with the only original member left of War, Lonnie Leroy Jordan, what is it like now in the band?

Rene: Back then Jordan was the original keyboard player in the band, and now the main singer. The story that I heard from the band members, War was actually playing locally in Los Angeles, the guys are from Compton and North Long Beach. So they would be playing clubs here in the late 60’s, and all! Eric Burdon had heard about this group, so he came out to L.A., then later the band went to the U.K. and they all got together and started recording a project. That was the very first record that came out.

Kim: I think that’s a Great message for a lot of people.

Eventually at one point, this is a pretty amazing story, I don’t know if its very well known, the night that Jimi Hendrix passed away, “Eric Burdon and War” were playing at Ronnie Scott’s, a very famous club in London.

War had three or four nights that they had been playing, so they invited Jimi Hendrix to come out and jam with them. He came out and jammed and they all hung out afterwards, and they all made their way to the Hotel or wherever they were going. The next morning they woke up and found out that Jimi had passed away.

We know that War started out with Eric Burdon,

Kim: Oh Wow! That is history, and what a tragedy.

These are definitely challenging times, but if you want to play in whatever style of music you want to do, find the musicians that are like-minded. Find good musicians, better musicians, and try and create your craft with them!

Start off small and be patient, because it will happen. If you’re persistent it will happen!

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Rene: Pretty incredible history there. Just knowing the history of War and how many people that they have collaborated with throughout the years, all the different styles and different genres they were playing. It’s been pretty amazing to hear and to actually be a part of it! The history of what I get to play now with them!

Kim: How do you enjoy working with Lonnie Leroy?

Rene: Most definitely. He is a great person to work with!

He’s such an amazing musician, when I first got into the band I always knew he could play very well, there were certain times at sound check we would just be messing around, and I would hear him play something and I would say, ‘how do you know that, where did you study that?’

He said, ‘I didn’t really study, I just listened to a lot of music!’

Rene Camacho with Kevin Eubanks

Kim: Some of my favorite songs by War are “Slipping Into the Darkness“, “Spill the Wine“, “The World is a Ghetto“, and of course, “Lowrider“. Do you ever get a chance to play these songs live?

Rene: We play them almost every night! About 2 hours of nothing but hit songs! It’s definitely a great experience!

Kim: It looks like your last show was sold out at the Greek not too long ago?

Rene: Yes, we were the headliner. It was my fifth time playing with War there. It was a wonderful time. It always is!

Kim: Rene, What was one of the most memorable highlights of your career?

Rene: That would be being able to play with one of my life long idols, a Latin artist by the name of Celia Cruz.

I was able to play with her the last five years of her life.

One of the most amazing people I have ever met. Not only was she a great singer, she was a fantastic person!

She always made the band always want to work with her.

I think she was 76 when she passed away. Celia would travel with her husband 300 days out of the year! At their age, one night they would be in Columbia, a couple nights later New York. It would be amazing to see how much they traveled, It was just part of their life. Now matter how exhausted she was, I would see them helping her up on stage. As soon as she got up there, the Power and energy she had was incredible. Of course she would be exhausted after the shows but of course she would get up and do it all over again! She always was such a positive HIGHWIRE DAZE

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Rene Camacho person, never had anything negative to say about anyone ever!

Kim: Rene it was a pleasure talking with you today about War, and wish you well with all your recordings and collaborations in the future. You are so humble and a fierce bass player with endless talent. Thank you for your time today and look forward to talking with you in the future.

Rene: Sounds great Kim, Thank you!

Check out War.com / Renecamocho.com

Reach Kim Crain at kimcrain.com www.facebook.com/kim. crain.9231 www.instagram.com/kimcrainmusic 47

SMITH/KOTZEN THE WHISKY, WEST HOLLYWOOD, CA., JANUARY 20, 2022

ADRIAN SMITH Review by Ken Morton - Photos by Jack Lue Smith/Kotzen is an inspiring collaboration between two music legends – Adrian Smith of Iron Maiden and Richie Kotzen of The Winery Dogs. With a Self-Titled debut album that was recorded and released in the midst of a worldwide pandemic, the duo was more than ready to perform these songs live for the world. Now on the road at long last, the historic tour made its grand debut within the hallowed walls of the Whisky A Go Go on the Sunset Strip.

The show was absolutely sold out, with fans gearing up for a rock-solid night to remember. And Smith/Kotzen delivered the auditory goods tenfold, unleashing an exhilarating 48

RICHIE KOTZEN live event for the ages. What a treat it was to witness Smith/ Kotzen in such an intimate venue!

Opening their set with the memorable refrains of Taking My Chances, Smith/Kotzen instantly hooked the audience in for what would turn out to be a magical night of music and memories. Iron Maiden is very used to playing big stadiums, but one could see Adrian Smith was very passionate about playing in a smaller venue to an amped up, full capacity house. Smith has quite a rocking singing voice and his guitar interludes are superbly imaginative. Richie Kotzen also delivered a mesmerizing performance, his soulful vocals and vibrant guitar solos reigning supreme. The rhythm March/April 2022

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section Smith/Kotzen brought along for this very special West Coast tour was wondrous to behold, featuring the pulsating bass reverberations of Julia Lage (formerly of the Latin Grammy-nominated Brazilian rock band Barra De Saia) and Bruno Valverde of Angra on driving it all into stratospheric heights on drums!

And the standout tunes raged on, with selections such as Better Days, Some People, Glory Road, and Scars leaving an indelible impression. There were even some songs snuck into the set from other projects Smith/Kotzen are very well known for. You Can’t Save Me from Richie’s Kotzen’s Into The Black solo endeavor was well received by the Whisky crowd. And what a thunderous surprise to hear the Iron Maiden classic Wasted Years from their Somewhere In Time epic, performed with heavy metal excellence by the almighty Smith/Kotzen lineup.

Adrian Smith and Richie Kotzen are consummate musicians who play music they love with a massive amount of heart and conviction. With a show this astounding, here’s hoping this dynamic duo make their way back to the Southland for even more sonic adventures. Be sure to check onto the Smith/Kotzen Self-Titled full length and their follow up Better Days EP for some truly terrific tunes! And do not miss these guys if you have a chance to see them unveil their music wizardry in a live setting!

Listen to THE WRIGHT WAVE at Live 365 http://www.thewrightwave.com Now in our 10th year!

“ANGEL” The Incredible New Single From

Now Available...On All Digital Platforms HIGHWIRE DAZE

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The Metal Assault 12th Anniversary Festival Transplants Brewing, Palmdale, CA., February 12-13, 2022

A b o ve - T h ro ug h T h e Oc ul us A t Ri g h t - M a l i s o n Review by Ken Morton - Photos by Jack Lue

have some of that stuff bottled!

The Metal Assault 12th Anniversary Fest made it’s way into the wilds of Palmdale, delivering the sonic goods at the Transplants Brewery on February 12th and 13th. With a solid lineup curated by Metal Assault founder Aniruddh “Andrew” Bansal (who was also running their merch booth DIY), the event featured a staggering lineup of bands! In addition to the live music entertainment, the festival also launched a Metal-Assault-curated beer, brewed in-house at Transplants Brewing itself. The Sound Mind IPA was premiered, and it was absolutely delicious! Here’s hoping we could

Among the bands to appear at The Metal Assault 12th Anniversary Festival were Claustrofobia, Voices Of Ruin, Through The Oculus, Malison, Fortress Of Empyrean, Fermentor and Bone Maggot on Friday.

And then a headbanging Saturday night in Palmdale would feature Void Vator, Old Blood, Dawn Fades, Authors Of Fate, Tzimani, Sea Of Snakes and more!

And before we go on, the Highwire Daze Editor would like to apologize to Sea Of Snakes for calling them Sea Snakes in the previous issue. No matter how you mutilate their moniker, these guys are wickedly intense!

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One of the highlights of the weekend for this reviewer was the mighty Malison, performing songs from their recently issued Death’s Embrace endeavor on Metal Assault Records. Mario Lovio and Eddie Spade deliver a twin guitar assault that is wondrous to witness, filled with ripping imagination and intrigue. Frontman and bassist Steven Rondina rages with dynamic sense of conviction and force while drummer Nick Mafi drives it all home with a screaming vengeance. Massive talents all with the terrific songs to back it up all. You can bet Highwire Daze will be revisiting Malison in the future.

Through The Oculus is one of the most compelling metal bands in Los Angeles, presenting their own supremely imaginative take on the symphonic death metal genre. Sarah Gambin has a gorgeous operatic singing voice and then can turn around and spew out the most guttural of death metal epitaphs. Randy Lee shreds into the stratosphere on guitar while bassist Lauren Weatherford and drummer Eric Freeman unleash a truly ferocious rhythm section. Lilith and Lazarus was one of the many highlights found within the realm of Through

The Oculus. Be sure to catch Through The Oculus opening for Infected Rain on May 10th at 1720!

And what a heavy kickass treat it was to have an absolutely pummeling set for the mighty Claustrofobia headlining the first night! Initially hailing from Brazil and now based within the desert oasis of Las Vegas, Claustrofobia nearly blew the roof off the Transplants Brewery with their seething death metal intensity!

Formed in 1994 by brothers Marcus and Caio D’Angelo, the band boasts of a career spanning nearly three decades and have opened for the likes of Iron Maiden, Slayer and Anthrax! Be sure to check out their latest album Unleeched - now available from Metal Assault Records!

Many congrats to Andrew and the Metal Assault team for 12 amazing years presenting us all with unforgettables music memories and a two amazing nights to remember at Transplant Brewery!

Check out Metal Assault at https://metalassaultrecords.com/!

Be sure to check out our animated lyric videos for both singles and subscribe to our YouTube Channel At:

www.

.com/deathcryptopia Become a Deathcryptopian and stay updated on all Deathcryptopia News. Subscribe to The Deathcryptopian by emailing us at deathcryptopia@gmail.com

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DIRTY HONEY and MAMMOTH WVH THE WILTERN, LOS ANGELES, CA.,MARCH 2, 2022

DIRTY HONEY Review by Ken Morton - Photos by Jack Lue The Young Guns Tour made its way to The Wiltern in the heart of Los Angeles, featuring two of the finest up and coming bands performing nothing short of triumphant hometown shows. We’ve had samples of what both outfits are capable of – Mammoth WVH played a packed to the rafters show at The Whisky a few months ago while Dirty Honey won over legions of fans while on a cross country tour with the legendary Black Crowes. Banding together to entertain all of us as the pandemic hopefully comes to an end, Dirty Honey and Mammoth WVH presented a rock and roll performance for the ages! There was a massive amount of fans at the venerable Wiltern waiting to hear the goods these buzz bands had in store, and both Dirty Honey and Mammoth WVH delivered 52

MAMMOTH WVH tenfold. Here are some highlights from The Young Guns Tour in the City of Angels.

MAMMOTH WVH Kicking off the night was Mammoth WVH, gaining a massive amount of momentum from the very beginning due to the fact that front man/guitarist Wolfgang Van Halen just happens to be the son of a much-revered guitar legend. Believe the hype, because Mammoth WVH is rock solid, with Wolfgang and his crew displaying a brilliant display of talent and conviction. Opening with the one-two punch of Mammoth and Mr. Ed, one noticed right away the rapturous melodies and glorious vocal harmonies. Their new single Epiphany was up next, and this one should be all over the worldwide radio March/April 2022

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airwaves. Horribly Right was another selection showing just how vibrant the Mammoth WVH live experience is.

There were some powerful moments where Wolfgang would talk about his iconic father. He introduced Think It Over as his “dad’s favorite song.” Distance is such a poignant tune about loss of a loved one, and what an emotional moment this selection was in the Mammoth WVH set. Wolfgang then introduced a cover that he slyly pointed out was not “Van Halen,” and the band unleashed a short yet dazzling rendition of Them Bones by Alice In Chains. Closing out the set with the inspiring Don’t Back Down, Mammoth WVH left a lasting impression on even the most cynical of music critic.

In addition to the amazing vocals and axe work of Wolfgang Van Halen, Mammoth WVH also featured the dynamic live participation of Jon Jourdan on guitars, Ronnie Ficarro on bass, (former bassist of Falling In Reverse and I Am Ghost by the way), and Garrett Whitlock (ex-Tremonti) on drums.

DIRTY HONEY Dirty Honey is THE next generation of world class rock and roll. Some may indeed mistakenly proclaim the genre dead as a doornail, but that’s only because they have not encountered the thrilling reveries Dirty Honey has to offer this great big world. If you have been a fan of icons such as The Black Crowes and Guns N’ Roses, you are destined to meet your next favorite band when experiencing the world of sonic intrigue that is Dirty Honey. With a massive amount of stage

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presence, and the talent and drive to back it all up, Dirty Honey will bring the rock and roll sweetness to a whole new generation of music fans – and this was well on display within their thoroughly captivating set at The Wiltern. Opening with the stunning reprieves of California Dreamin’ followed by the wickedly wonderful Break You, Dirty Honey poured the thunderous hard rocking goodness all over the audience.

Each and every song presented was an absolute highlight, including Heartbreaker, The Wire, Take Me Hand, Gypsy and more! The vocal performance of Marc LaBelle was nothing short of stratospheric, displaying massive heart and a staggering range that captured the audience’s undivided attention.

John Notto delivered powerhouse interludes on guitar, filled with imagination and artistry. And the very tight and kickass rhythm section was brought to you courtesy of Justin Smolian on bass and Corey Coverstone on drums.

Toward the end of their set, Dirty Honey launched into a rip-roaring rendition of the Prince classic Let’s Get Crazy, placing their own mesmerizing spin on this classic track that would even impress its creator in the great beyond. And by the way, what a treat it was to hear their very soulful Another Last Time song performed twice for a planned music video complete with special guests on keyboards and backing vocals. An unforgettable, star making night at The Wiltern, where with the winning combination of Dirty Honey and Mammoth WVH, the universal magic of rock and roll reigned supreme!

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DIZZYLILACS

The Viper Room, West Hollywood, CA. February 18, 2022

THE HARD WAY The Whisky, West Hollywood, CA. February 18, 2022

Review by Ken Morton - Photo by Provodrive

Review by Ken Morton - Photo by Louis Lopez

It’s been quite some time since Dizzylilacs has performed an acoustic set, and stripped down, the brilliance and moodiness of the songs really stand out. Add in the chill acoustic basement at the notorious Viper Room on the Sunset Strip, and the entire experience is absolutely magic. Songs such as Hazel and Leather Coffin work exceeding well when delivered acoustically in such an intimate setting.

Immediately following the Dizzylilacs show at The Viper Room, it was time for a quick walk across the street to catch The Hard Way opening for Eric Martin (The Voice Of Mr. Big) featuring Trixter. The Hard Way has supported many a band at the iconic Whisky, always unleashing tremendously solid performances complete with top notch musicians and sexy gogo dancers. Diabolical Bitch is a Sunset Strip classic to be sure while I Can’t Go Home seethes with hard rocking passion and emotion. Eric Jeffreys is such a dynamic front man, bringing the rock and rage party tenfold each and every time.

Mark Van Fleet Hoagland’s haunting vocals and acoustic guitar work really make an impact in this type of setting, while Dizzybro Paul Hoagland kept subtle yet very persuasive beats on a cajón. Lead guitarist Mike Wendland weaved his own sonic intensity into the proceedings. This trio really knows how to rock it out acoustically, presenting a triumphant return out of the darkness of this Covid age and into the legendary Sunset Strip venue. Sadly, The Viper Room will be closing, but solid performances like Dizzylilacs unplugged is a memory that will last for a lifetime. Watch for new Dizzylilacs show dates to be announced soon!

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Tonight would be the final performance of long time lead guitarist John Huldt (pictured above), and his supreme skills and dedication to the band will be missed. Andres Yepez on guitar, Nick Diiorio on bass, and Jonas Streffer on drums all delivered the hard rocking goods like total pros! Thanks to Eric Jeffreys and The Hard Way for your amazing support of our local scene and the always kickass live shows!

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SIX GUN SAL, THE GUITAR & WHISKEY CLUB, BONNIE BRAE The Whisky, West Hollywood, CA., March 11, 2022

Six Gun Sal - Photo by Ricardo Herrera Review by Ken Morton Another rock and raging night on the Sunset Strip, this time at the world famous Whisky A Go Go, featuring some of the finest talents our Los Angeles music scene has to offer. The entire evening was curated by Gwendolyn Casella, who would perform blazing lead vocals in not only her main band Bonnie Brae, but dyamic backup singing within the ranks of the headlining Six Gun Sal. Also joining in on the fun was The Guitar & Whiskey Club - and these trio of bands brought the party tenfold!

BONNIE BRAE The first band Highwire Daze caught up with was Bonnie Brae, unleashing their own mesmerizing 56

brand of hard rock and roll. Imagine a mixup of metal, sludge, and punk, and you are only just beginning to envision the captivating Bonnie Brae experience.

Songs such as Three Strikes, UTN, Drug, and especially Slut will remain in your head for ages, all delivered with a ferocious intensity by the Bonnie Brae crew.

Gwendolyn Casella unleashes a ferocious performance in Bonnie Brae, delivering the seething vocals and pounding a lone drum with a massive amount of intensity and conviction. Just as passionate in their live presentations are Bonnie Brae co-conspirators David Coltrane Levin on guitar, Derby on bass, and Scottie Carneghi on drums. Oh, and good freakin’ luck getting the wickedly wonderful chorus of Slut out of your head once you’ve heard it! Do not miss Bonnie Brae the next time they play here in LA or beyond - their songs and live shows are absolute fire!

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Above - The Guitar and Whiskey Club - Photo by Jack Lue Right - Bonnie Brae - Photo by Tony Mierzwicki

THE GUITAR & WHISKEY CLUB The Guitar & Whiskey Club are back on the circuit, the new lineup recently opening for the likes of Stephen Pearcy of RATT and Jack Russell’s Great White. Now taking on an all locals show, The Guitar & Whiskey Club rocked the house big time! Founding member Jeffrey Donovan is an inspring lead guitarist in the grand tradition of Michael Schenker and George Lynch, delivering master class axework filled with skill and imagination. Mark Prudeaux is a front man on fire, his exhilarating vocals and stage presence sending the songs into sonic overdrive. And what an explosive rhythm section The Guitar & Whiskey Club possesses, courtesy of Frank Yanno on bass and Jason DAmelio on drums. The opening one-two punch of Flies Like Whiskey and The Sky Is Burning captured the audience’s attention in nothing short of an epic way. Sleazy is certainly a Sunset Strip rock anthem for the ages that was an infinite highlight. The band closed out their set with a brand new single entitled Does Your Dog Bite - another selection with a blistering chorus you’ll be singing along with forever and day! These guys WILL rock your world and leave you craving more of that almighty guitar and whiskey sound! Join this club NOW!

SIX GUN SAL Six Gun Sal IS the future of Southern rock! Headlining The Whisky on the Sunset Strip to kick off the weekend, this Los Angeles based band delivered a mighty set of tunes that would do Lynyrd Skynrd and Molly HIGHWIRE DAZE

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Hatchet very proud. This amazing band knows how to deliver a memorable show filled with heart, soul, and great tunes! Amongst the standout songs within the Six Gun Sal set were Asphalt Cowboy, The Creek, and Whiskey Mountain - clearly demonstrating how effective Six Gun Sal is at delivering timeless Southern rock at its finest.

One big highlight of the set was their absolutely stunning rendition of the Nazareth hit Hair Of The Dog, with Six Gun Sal weaving their own spirited magic and intrigue into the song.

Anthony Appello is such a compelling front man in the classic Southern rock style, and really knows how to bring the audience in and make them feel like they are part of the show. Dusty Lang (rhythm guitar), Joey Durant (drummer), Matt Geinitz (bassist), Ed Fierro (lead guitar), and Silver Dawg (keyboards) are all outstanding musicians and really sent each and every tune into the rock and roll heavens. The backup vocals were a real treasure, featuring Mia Dunn and Bonnie Brae’s own Gwendolyn Casella unveiling sweet and gorgeous harmonies and nifty dance moves throughout.

Closing out the show with a fantastic song entitled Remember My Name, there is no doubt Six Gun Sal made a lot of lasting memories for the Whisky concert goers on a Friday night. Be sure to check out Rebels & Rogues, the latest Six Gun Sal album - and do not miss this band the next they bring their Southern rock extravaganza to your town! Thank you to Gwendolyn Casella for setting up this kickass show!

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Immolation and Imperial Triumphant 1720, Los Angeles, CA., March 1, 2022

Review and Immolation Photos by Tony F. Corpse The hellish soundtrack for the evening was beset by Film Noir/Jazz/Avant Garde/Black Metal marauders Imperial Triumphant. This dangerously desolate arena was just perfect for such a bizarre oddity to showcase their mindbending aura. Resplendent in sepulchral robes and symmetrically jagged metallic masks, no doubt forged from a sanguinary nightmare, Imperial Triumphant awed and finagled the crowd into submission. This is futuristic yet retro. The soundtrack for a subterranean metropolis gone stark raving mad.

New York juggarnaught Immolation aimed to pummel our craniums. Ross Dolan (Bass, Vocals) was all brutish business, manhandling his instrument like a serial killer weilds a power drill. His vokills lay just beneath the aggressive frequencies, rumbling and gurgling. Demonically enhanced, no doubt. Leading the ever dissonant riff cavalcade into further, unchartered waters, Bob Vigna (Guitar) pummeled our timid ears with an arsenal of twistedly arcane chords, forced out vigorously loud and spiteful. His trademark robotic arm manuevers were on display. Of course inhumanly mysterious they are. Perhaps he’s an automaton?

Drummer Steve Shalaty punctuated the dire din with the gusto of a galeforce wind. His tribal enunciations and off kilter meters unlike any other in the field. Guitarist Alex Bouks handled stage right admirably, churning out chugging rythms of epic proportion. Some of the savagely violent classics offered spanned their entire career.

Much to the delight of the assembled throng they even threw in “Into Everlasting Fire” from their eponymous debut album. And so, a night of essentially brutal Death Metal comes to a Glorious Epoch. Empowering and strengthening all malcontents once again.

Acts Of God by Immolation out now via Nuclear Blast Records. An Evening With Imperial Triumphant is now out via Century Media Records.

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March/April 2022

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ALBUM REVIEWS Chaos Demons EP Black Terror Self-released

Review by Tony F. Corpse

Black Terror is Doom laden, horror infused scare metal from Los Angeles. When one indulges in the fanciful morbidity of Black Terror, one is peering headlong into a hellish abyss. Among the blackened gems on display here is the interestingly entitled “Xycosis” starting off affairs jarringly, and as subtle as an earthquake at dawn. This down tuned sludge metal bastard is unrelenting in pace.

A sundry and ever malicious hymn that calls for innumerable repetition. “Dresden Horror” paints a crimson splashed portrait, rife with the sacrificial blood of 30,000 women, children and elderly, all victims of said fatal air attacks from so long ago.

Another morbidly intriguing aspect of Black Terror is their deviantly kitsch, retro art aesthetic. Arcane and mortifying, like the scrawling and crawling, creepy carnival funhouse paintings from the late 60s. Vokillist/ Bass Raper “Lord Kaimearus” leads this infernal choir of misfits and carrion feasters. His horde of mongrels is rounded out by the spastic Snake on Concussion Riff Guitar Mastery and Chess on Dastardly Devastating Drums.

A warning to the weary, fearful and overtly religious.

This isn’t the band for you. This is music composed for the lunatic fringe. And so, your one way ticket to eternal darkness awaits... https://www.facebook.com/gunstar6/

Before The Sun Sets City Of Lights Frontiers Music Srl Review by Ken Morton

Frontiers Music Srl continues to release the very best in melodic rock and heavy metal, presenting brand new recordings from both legacy artists and brand-new bands to the world at large. One of the most exciting novices on the label is City Of Lights, an exhilarating collaboration between British newcomer songwriter/guitarist Neil Austin and Greek vocal sensation Manos Fatsis (Odyssey Desperado/ 60

Hideaway). Mix in a kickass rhythm section of brothers Robin Eriksson on bass and Mats Eriksson on drums from the mighty degreed, and you posess a winning combination. Before The Sun Sets is an epic breakthrough for this absolutely amazing band on the rise, jam packed to the rafters with hard rocking entreaties that are thrilling to behold.

The auditory adventure takes flight with the powerhouse reverberations of Racing On The Redline, a dazzling track that uplifts the spirit and sets the imagination in flight. Heart’s On Fire continues on with its towering melodies reigning supreme. Emily is a love song for the ages with a chorus that will remain in your head long after the disc spins to its conclusion. Heat Of The Night is vibrantly scorching, filled with lyrical and melodic intrigue. Dying Light is presented with passions seething followed by the pulsating hard rock sensations of Give Me Back My Heart. And the stunning tracks keep on spinning through, with the arrival of the sweet and wonderful Joanna, a visit into the wilds of the Midnight Club, and the rapturous refrains of How To Love. And be sure to make your way to the glorious grand finale of the title cut Before The Sun Sets, presenting City Of Lights at the height of their creative energies.

With the unveiling of Before The Sun Sets, the next generation of AOR melodic rock has arrived, presenting a timeless album that will captivate all types of music fans. In addition to the amazing work of the main core City Of Lights membership, guest guitar soloists Nathan Doyle, Daniel Johansson (degreed), Christoffer Borg (Taste/ex-Art Nation), and Mike Kyriakou join in on the proceedings. The album also features appearances from Creye’s Joel Selfors on piano and degreed/ Paralydium’s Mikael Blanc on keyboards. Tech credits are outstanding, featuring artwork by design maestro Nello Dell’Omo and mixing/mastering duties courtesy of AOR producer extraordinaire Erik Gavfelin Wiss (Creye, Cruzh, Cap Outrun). Here’s hoping we see a live show from City Of Lights in future days – in the meantime, give Before The Sun Sets a listen and prepare to be swept away into a grand state of sonic euphoria!

Before The Sun Sets by City Of Lights will be available February 11th via Frontiers Music Srl. And the Eriksson brothers have a new degreed album coming out on the same day entitled Are You Ready, also on the one and only Frontiers! https://www.facebook.com/cityoflightsbanduk March/April 2022

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Starlight Epic Escape Music

Review by Ken Morton

It is always exciting to receive new music from the folks at Escape Music, and the esteemed label has kicked of 2022 tenfold with the unveiling of Starlight by the female fronted Epic! Featuring the massive talents of lead vocalist Tanya Rizkala and the special participation of Chris Childs from Thunder and Tyketto on bass, Starlight is a striking and ambitious work of sonic artistry that reaches absolutely stratospheric heights.

A rock-solid follow-up to their previous Like A Phoenix endeavor, Starlight by the very well named Epic is destined to rock your world with an entire galaxy of impassioned tunes!

Once the opening track I Want is unleashed, the listener is instantly hooked in with Tanya’s superbly passionate vocals and the fiery performances from all involved musicians.

Up next is the magnificent Carry On, a track that should be heard on radio waves all over the universe. Can’t Get Over is sweeping in scope, with Tanya’s voice filled with blistering emotion. And the hits just keep on arriving, from the swirling reverberations of My Way Or The Highway, the scorching refrains of Stars, the expansive intensity of Face The Storm and beyond. And be sure to stay for the exotic grand finale of Mais Lui, concluding the Starlight experience on a vibrantly rapturous note.

Tanya Rizkala is certainly one of the most underrated rock singers on the planet, and within the vast tapestries of Starlight, her powerhouse vocals and glorious presence reign supreme. Mario Agostine presents a ton of imagination and conviction on guitars and keyboards, while Souheil “Sous” Moukaddem brings a driving sense of urgency with his drum magic. And then there’s the aforementioned Chris Childs, lending his experience and expertise into the realm of the almighty Epic. With a dynamic love for music, Epic present a triumphant masterwork that aims straight into the heart of the matter. Be sure to check into the brilliant reprieves of Starlight, available now via Escape Music. https://www.facebook.com/epicmusicband

Everending

Professional Murder Music Self Released single Review by Tony F. Corpse Reentering the fray of musical emissions after an indeterminate amount of time can be a gamble.

Reassess, recalculate, reavaluate...three terms undoubtedly unforeign to Melodic/Industrial/Rock titans Professional HIGHWIRE DAZE

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Murder Music, who have been trasversing the ill fated trenches of the music “industry” since the 1990s. They were at one point a mainstay at Ozzfest and even appeared on the Arnold Schwarzenegger schlockfest soundtrack for End Of Days (from which they earned a gold record award) Refusing to obey the systematic rank and file of a music conglomeration they once pandered to, now PMM creates at their own leisure and their newest single “Everending” is the end result. A super transgressive and ethereal offering. Not a far cry from what The Cure would produce sans Robert Smith’s somber timbre and predelection for overtly depressing topics.

Yet, PMM is somber and enchantingly dreamy in the void of soundscape. The composition is nocturnal but still able to covort in the rays of a hopeful sunrise, as Vocalist/Guitarist/ Programming genius Roman Marisak indulges your senses with velvet smooth vocal innuendos. Rounding out this stellar lineup is Tom Hatziemanouei (Guitar, Programming) and Chris Olivas (Drums) who both do honorable jobs at setting the task in motion. Overall “Everending” is palpable. A formidable single surging with passion and nuance. Unequivocally recommended. https://www.facebook.com/ProMrdrMusic

Elements Of Power Veonity Scarlet Records Review by Ken Morton For nearly a decade, the almighty Veonity of Sweden has been flying under the radar, presenting superb ultra-power metal albums to the world. And nothing spells breakthrough quite like Elements Of Power, their fifth exhilarating magnum opus destined to inspire the metal masses above and beyond these dark pandemic days. Fans of acts such as Hammerfall, Sabaton, and Sonata Arctica will surely discover a lifelong favorite when encountering the glorious tapestries of Veonity. And Elements Of Power is a terrific way to commence upon the epic Veonity auditory experience.

Opening with the mesmerizing Beyond The Realm Of Reality, Veonity capture the imagination of the listener in an instant!

The Surge continues on with the rapturous true metal dynamics, followed by the grand and magnificent call to arms found within Altar Of Power. The thrilling title track Elements Of Power is up next, featuring an appearance by Dragony’s front man Siegfried Samer! Then it’s on to encounter the ferocious Gargoyles Of Black Steel leading up to the triumphant reverberations of Dive Into The Light. And the sweeping passages of metal anthems rage on, presenting a show of strength and passion that is stunning to behold. Concluding with the dazzling Return To The Land Of Light, it is clear that Veonity has presented an album for the ages that true metal fans will want to revisit time and again.

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The musicianship found within the realm of Veonity is first rate, featuring the participation of Anders Sköld on vocals and guitar, Samuel Lundström on lead guitar, Kristoffer Lidle on bass, and Joel Kollberg on drums. Elements Of Power was expertly mixed and mastered at the legendary Studio Freidman in the metal mecca of Gothenburg!

Veonity will support Bloodbound, Arion and Metalite on the Tour Of The Dark Realm 2022 all over Europe – here’s hoping the band will make their way to the States at along long last to present their amazing heavy metal hymns! In the meantime, check into Elements Of Power and prepare to be swept away by its heroic reprieves! https://www.facebook.com/veonity

Reap What You Sow Vigil Of War Self Released Review by Ken Morton Vigil Of War has returned, unveiling their second slab of hard rock and metal entitled Reap What You Sow – and it’s a raging gem that all types of music fanatics will want to check out. Founded by the super charismatic Alicia Vigil, Vigil Of War has made quite an impact above and beyond the local Los Angeles music scene. And although Reap What You Sow is less punky than their 2017 Bite The Bullet debut, there is a grand amount of ambition and passion to be found within each and every song presented.

After a wickedly blazing Intro, Vigil Of War blasts into the intriguing reveries of Spoon Fed, featuring absolutely mesmerizing vocals from Alicia, a towering chorus, and superb performances from all musicians involved. Vultures slams straight into the heart of the matter with it’s vibrancy and attitude, about “playing the part of the victim so well.” Legacy Remains is liberating and poignant, with Alicia and company delivering impassioned performances throughout this standout cut. Then it’s time for another haunting Interlude, followed by the powerhouse title track, which features the one and only Herman Li from Dragonforce making a mighty guest appearance! No Surrender presents “chaos set in motion,” exuding the rollercoaster sounds of perseverance that are wondrous to behold. And then after the final Outro, the Reap What You Sow experience has come to an end way to soon, definitely leaving the listener craving a whole lot more!

Alicia Vigil has grown tremendously as an artist since Bite The Bullet, and Reap What You Sow is destined to launch the band into the stratosphere at last! In addition to Ms. Vigil’s captivating vocals and pulsating bass work, the other members from Vigil Of War exude a ton of star appeal as well.

Kiki Wongo is tremendous on guitar, a co-conspirator with Alicia in the She Demons days, and now a stunning addition to the Vigil Of War brigade. Shane Taylor also delivers ripping guitar licks and sizzling keys, while Kyle Abbott drives 62

it all home with a vengeance on drums! The amazing front and back cover art is presented courtesy of Brian M. Viveros.

Reap What You Sow is an inspiration to be sure, a recording that fans will want to revisit time and again. All this, and Alicia is about to go on tour with her other band, which is of course the colossal entity known worldwide as Dragonforce!

Be sure to catch Alicia with Dragonforce at The Belasco on April 22nd and do what is needed to experience the stunning reprieves of Reap What You Sow by Vigil Of War! https://www.vigilofwar.com/

Down In Wuhan We Are The Black Things Tone Raven Music Review by Ken Morton During the time of the great Covid-19 pandemic, the reality of isolation would spawn the nuturing of creativity. We Are The Black Things from the wilds of Hollywood created their second magnum opus Down In Wuhan within the throes of a desolation landscape. And it’s a dark and brilliant mind trip where the Sunset Strip meets Jim Morrison at his most subversive to discuss the trials and tribulations of our present day. Founder Tone Raven and his crew has unleashed this auditory document of our time that should absolutely chill the senses and set the imagination into a stratospheric overdrive to be sure!

The disc of sonic intrigue opens with the ominous title track Down In Wuhan, followed by the avant-garde devastation of The Chinese Virus Song. Drop The Bomb and Darker Places continues the We Are The Black Things journey into modern day madness, with Tone Raven and his brigade tearing into the blackened heart of the matter. Put More Flame To It is a scorcher with its searing guitar atmospherics and Tone Raven’s fiery vocals from beyond. Then Night Of The Rats scampers through your speakers with it’s impassioned Bowie-esque magnetism. Dancing Before The Lord is a dazzling psychedelic highlight, showing a spiritual side to the We Are The Black Things road trip. And be sure to stay until the very end of the story, where Make Me Happy is delivered with a staggering amount of contemplation and conviction.

Down In Wuhan by We Are The Black Things is truly a bewitching occurrence, and it’s a recording well worth seeking out. Travelling on this vast highway through Hollywood with vocalist/guitarist/mastermind Tone Raven are Frank Garrett on bass, Luthario Mitcho on turntables, Rae Owl Starling on keyboards, and Scott Garrett on drums. Go into this one with a wide open mind and prepare for an exhilarating adventure far above and beyond these waning pandemic daze. https://www.facebook.com/ravenscrymusic March/April 2022

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