Steel Notes Magazine January 2020 by Steel Notes Magazine

HOLLYWOOD LEGEND MAMIE VAN DOREN URGES LADIES TO “STEP UP”! Marie Currie’s Amazing Creations Nikki Palomino’s Underground Diaries Introducing “The Welshman” By Steve Jones JT’s Vintage Audio & Vinyl Attic Treasures Plus much more!

Steel Notes Magazine January 2020 steelnotesmagazine.com

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Steel Notes Magazine is a monthly magazine featuring what is happening in the art, music, entertainment, and fashion industry. Copyright is reserved. Re posting is whole or in part on other sites and publication without permission is prohibited. All right to photos belong to their respective owners.

IN THIS ISSUE FEATURED

STAFF

p4 The Whirling World of Marlowe B West Presentz Mamie Van Doren

ADMINISTRATIVE

STAFF WRITERS

Alexxis Steele Publisher/Editor-in-Chief

Marlowe B West Jerry Saravia Scott Saxon Josie Janci Luca Cerardi Monique Grimme Scott Aber Nikki Palomino Jennycat Rex Maurice Oppenheimer Todd Sobczak JR Peterson Christopher Annino Domenic Marinelli Dawn Belotti Don Aters Jim Allford Sam Leighty Angela Graham Dex Shellhammer Johnny Reed Steven M. Kalish Nikki Palomino Scott Saxon Nick Christophers Sammi Z

p 12 Marie Currie Creations p 20 Elvis Aaron Presley Jr. Performs at Allentown’s Scottish Rite Cathedral

MORE p 38 Samantha Hubbs by Samantha Jane p 43 The Welshman by Steve Jones

Josie Janci VP of Business Development Kristy Jamison of Sparrow Forge Branding House Layout

p 46 JT’s Vintage Audio & Vinyl Attic Treasures p 62 Dex’s Dungeon of Horrors Reviews 2019 Recap of Featured File “Dr. Sleep” & 20 of 2019’s Horror Movies p 64 Jim Allford’s CD Reviews of Alyssa Hankey & La Machine De Reve p 66 Nick Christopher Reviews Controversial Artist Paints a Different View for the Masses and George Andreakos in new mob film p 70 The Advenutes of Lucia & Glynn in Tokyo p 75 Italy’s Luca Cerardi Interviews Alex Skolnich p 80 Rockfiend Publications Scotland Reviews Adam Ant, Plus Collateral, She Burns Red, Tyla’s Dogs D’Amour, and Winter Storm 1 & 2 p 106 Lamb of God Guitarist Mark Morton’s New Solo EP p 107 All Hail the Yeti Announces New Guitarist, Management Deal & EP p 108 The Last Gentleman Smuggler p 114 Nikki Palomino’s Underground Diaries p 120 “Snowflakes” by Sir Dada p 121 Punk Rock Bi-Lingual Poetry by Yvonne Poeta NYC p 125 NJ Balloon Festival by Gary Preis

PHOTOGRAPHERS Bob Klein Sheri Bayne Ron Shirey John Turk John Millington Gary Preis Mike Dorn Brian Limage Larry Dell Rhonda Jean VanBuskirk Dave Hummell John Warner Nick Christophers John Turk Melody Tallarico

VIDEOGRAPHERS Lisa Koza Larry Dell John Turk

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Step Up, LADIES by Mamie Van Doren A century ago this year women in America got the vote. The 19th Amendment to the Constitution prohibiting the denial of voting rights on the basis of sex was ratified on August 18, 1920. Think of that: 132 long years after the adoption of the U.S. Constitution-the document that launched this great experiment in democracy--51 percent of the country’s citizens were at last allowed to participate. But how good a job have we women done with our enfranchisement? The overwhelming majority of the nation’s lawmakers and judges are still men, mostly white ones. And there has never been a woman president. Girls, as a group, we need to sharpen up our game. And, yes, I know there are Nancy Pelosi, Katie Porter (from here in the OC in Cali), Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and a host of other known and not-so-known women in powerful positions. I’m thankful for all of them, but isn’t it time for an estrogen president? Ok, I’m going to pull rank here. Young people may rhapsodize about the bygone days of the golden fifties, but as one who was a single mom before it was fashionable, who suffered the injustices and exploitation of the male-dominated movie business, but prospered in spite of it, I can tell you it was anything but golden. This is not ingratitude. All of us earned our keep at the studios. Many studio execs believed we were there for their amusement. Often, if you wanted to have your contract renewed, you had to make that spilt-second decision of just how far you were willing to let a hand stray up your thigh. And then go smile for the cameras. It has been ever thus in countless walks of life, right up to #MeToo and the outing of Harvey Weinstein, Bill Cosby, and Roger Ailes. Finally some of these creeps are getting their comeuppance. What to do? How do we really make some progress? The playwright Aristophanes had a pretty good idea back in 411 BC. You can look up Lysistrata if you haven’t read it, but the elevator pitch would go something like: hijinks of the women of ancient Athens, who withhold sex from their men to force them to end the Peloponnesian War. I starred in a movie based on the same premise at Universal, a western called The Second Greatest Sex. You have to wonder how well that would work today though, since many of the men in power are so old. Instead of sex, we might have to withhold their Viagra, but you get the idea. Somewhere, somehow, women need to present a unified front. We need to stop hedging our bets and letting the sanctimonious moralizers, the brow-beating PUSSY GRABBERS, and the Moscow Mitch McConnells set our agendas and call our tunes. It’s the fucking 21st century and we’re still fighting for control over our own bodies, for God’s sakes. It’s damned well time we called their bluff. Try to control us, boys, and you’ll have a bitch of a fight on your hands. And I do mean BITCH. I invite you to celebrate the 19th’s centennial with me. Have a glass of your favorite adult beverage, wave a flag, and blow a kiss to the ladies who sacrificed so much all those years ago. They got us this far. Now we need to cross the finish line. - Mamie

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Marie Currie CREATIONS by Alexxis Steele Marie Currie is an uber talented artist that creates exquisite pieces of art that you can own! Check out her full collection on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/MarieCurrieCreations Check out some of her work here in this issue!

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Meet ‘Gracious’ featuring a beautiful Cameo surrounded in Swarovski Crystals. This piece is so classic…reminds me of old Hollywood and values. I started by painting both crosses in black opal with a metallic gold design. I then covered the crosses in gold and rose gold filigree and covered the crosses in auburn rhinestone pieces. I wanted an aged look for this double cross and it airs a taste of old glamour! Hand cut by Steve Isaacs! 14/10” $200 www.steelnotesmagazine.com

Meet ‘Bloom’ featuring Austrian Crystal Flower drapes and a landscape of incredible crystal pieces. I started by painting the guitar in green, patina, purple, pink with a gold design. I covered the piece in copper filigree building a scene of Austrian Crystal, Swarovski, Rhinestones, butterflies, and dragonflies. I painted and placed JEROLLIN leafs in a pool of gold sea glass with diamond rounds and finished with little enamel leafs. The Swarovski Parrot which sits at the top alone is incredible. This baby is a crystal fairytale come true! Hand cut by Steve Isaacs and comes with a chrome stand. 19/7” $550 16

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Meet ‘Taste of Lavender’ featuring a beautiful Austrian Crystal drape. I started by painting both crosses in black opal with Lavender and a black design. I then covered the crosses in copper and brass filigree, enamel and rhinestone flowers and finished with JEROLLIN jewels. I am in love with this double cross! There’s nothing like her anywhere! Hand cut by Steve Isaacs! 14/10” $210 www.steelnotesmagazine.com

Meet ‘Garden of Hope’ featuring a huge cluster of Austrian Crystals that are jaw dropping!. I started by painting both crosses in black opal with a metallic gold design and added brass and gold filigree. I added JEROLLIN jewels, enamel with rhinestone and gorgeous Swarovski Crystal encrusted flowers throughout. I am in love!!! This double cross will leave you stunned. Hand cut by Steve Isaacs! 14/10” PM me if this beautiful baby is yours! $240 18

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SOLD!!!~Meet ‘Black Sand’ a gorgeous hand cut double cross featuring a stunning slice of turquoise surrounded in rhinestone. I started by painting the crosses in black opal with a vibrant blue tips. I added 26 pieces of silver filigree, turquoise tips and beautiful decorative pieces. I finished with a single silver cross in the middle. What a beautiful baby!! 12/8” $195 www.steelnotesmagazine.com

SOLD!!!~Meet Steeple’….An incredible 28/15” hand cut cross featuring a metal and glass lantern by Pickford. I started by staining the cross with a lime green and added some gold vines and flowers. I painted JEROLLIN metal leafs in green and orange along with some hand cut chrome branches. Once those were in place I added mirrors to the inside of the lantern for drama and mounted it with brackets. The cliff took days to build of sea glass, raw onyx, faceted crystals, ice and doll foliage. I finished with patina dragonflies, butterflies and handmade leafs by Erica Bunce. So striking!! One of my most stunning pieces ever! Hand cut by Steve Isaacs! 28/15’ $800 20

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Elvis Aaron PRESLEY JR. at The Scottish Rite Cathedral, Allentown November 16, 2019 by Alexxis Steele On November 16, 2019 at The Scottish Rite Cathedral, in Allentown, Pa, the music of the king of rock n roll lived on in a tribute to his father by his son, Elvis Aaron Presley Jr. Guests were encouraged to view and enjoy the museum artifacts on display in the lobby area while waiting for the show to begin.. Opening the show that night was vocalist Ann Flamingo from Las Vegas, and a surprise appearance by “Dino” Martin”. “Junior”, as he prefers to be called, performed a plethora of his father’s hits to an appreciative crowd, and it was evident he inherited his father’s talent. Present at the event, which later graced the stage to honor the veterans, were members of The American Legion. Funds were also being raised that night from the event proceeds to support programs, such as The Ronald MCDonald House. After the show there was a meet and greet, followed by a video interview with Alexxis Steele and John Turk, from Steel Notes Magazine. This interview can be seen by going to the magazine YouTube Channel. We look forward to seeing “Junior”, and his show when they come back to town again!

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We are looking for contributors!

Love the music scene? Want to share your story? We are looking for diverse contributors from all over the world. Do you love to write or are you passionate about photography? Email steelnotesmagazine@gmail.com for more info Want to help support our magazine? Consider buying ad space! As always, thank you for reading and sharing our magazine with your friends. 38

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We Want to Hear from You! If you would like your to submit your CD for review consideration, please email: cdreviews@steelnotesmagazine.com

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Samantha Hubbs is a PLAYWRIGHT & PERFORMER by Samantha Jane There are about 30 cities throughout The USA with formidable local expertise in Stage Plays and Dramatics. Everybody has heard of New York and LA and that City of Mardi Gras and Fifi Mahonys,New Orleans. New Orleans produces great Dramatics and Stage Plays. They rate highly along with the rest of the country. and The local scene has produced many luminaries in New Orleans. Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s plenty going on in New Orleans. The City of Mardi gras and shops such as Fifi Mahonys is one of the most formidable in Theatre.

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Samantha Hubbs is a superb actress. She grew up in Jackson, Wyoming and she went to High School at Jackson Hole. Samantha went to College at New Orleans. Samantha is just The Very Kind of Young Woman you see out shopping in the early evening and asking the sales associates about very expensive handbags. She is also the kind you see taking a long time to pick out and buy a vintage bottle of wine while out shopping in the evening. Which is all very fascinating, because Samantha started acting in High School which is where she started to learn the ropes. Samantha is approximately 5’5 with long black hair. She usually wears a light windbreaker in the often warm and rainy New Orleans/Gulf Coast weather. She also likes Umbrellas! Samantha is a very good bass player and she has played on several tracks of a friend’s Soundcloud recording. Reading everything from Shakespeare to Ginsburg, she is very literate. Samantha Hubbs isn’t conservative at all,but she enjoys the writings of the late Senator John McCain. She is outspoken about her political views, and doesn’t like Donald Trump. For about 3 months in 2019 Samantha shaved her head which is unusual, because a thing like that belongs to Persis Khambatta and Sinead O’Connor. It looked outasite

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on Samantha. Samantha eventually returned to her long black hairstyle which looks great,too. And there is something very masterful and confident about Samantha Hubbs when she’s on stage. You can’t keep your eyes off of her. Samantha is very professional and you can tell that from her typically able and strident performances in front of live audiences. I don’t have an exact, precise cataloging of Samantha Hubbs’ performances in total but I can give you the general sense of much of what she’s done in Theatre since about 2012. Samantha has written much of her own works over the years. She’s been doing this since High School In 2012 when she wrote a cool horrific play and she acted in it. The play was about dead bodies in the swamp coming back as Zombies. Five years ago she performed as kind of a cartoonish,human teapot or alarm clock in a costume like The Lullaby league in The Wizard of Oz. Samantha does a respectable job of performing Shakespeare. She did a program with other actresses and actors reciting Shakespeare’s Sonett’s, and it went over very grand. Recently Samantha did a single actress in a one act play mostly all by herself. It was about a Psychiatric ward in New Orleans. Currently Samantha is working out the details concerning presenting one of her plays in a 500 seat theatre. Samantha Hubbs tends to be popular with men,but use a little sense Samantha is brilliantly intelligent and she doesn’t want to be anybody’s geisha. Samantha is proactive in the rescue of abandoned dogs, and is however,a kind and comradely person to hang out with.

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“The Welshman” by Steve Jones

Alexxis Steele, after chasing me for quite some time, has finally lassoed me into writing for the magazine once again. This round, however, I’m going to avoid the ever popular subject of Star Trek, much to everyone’s disappointment BECAUSE… this is a MAINLY a music magazine not a bang, zap, pointy eared magazine… Trekkers will not get the Dr. McCoy reference there. Before I delve too far into todays moment, I do want to give kudos to the crew that put together the movie “Cats”. Amid some CGI issues, some minor continuity issues and the overall effort to create a contiguous story from several random poems is well compensated by the excellent choreography, intriguing sets and costumes. The music, of course, deserves the high praise that any Andrew Lloyd Webber effort draws. You are drawn into the story of the Jellicalle Cats and watch fixated for the entire show. However, if you go in there expecting to see the recreation of the Broadway production, save your money. This is a movie reimaging of the Broadway production. The Broadway version is available on DVD (and may even still be playing Broadway). To embrace the full experience of this outstanding show, you should approach the movie with an open mind and keep it and the stage production separate while enjoying both. So… with that said, who am I… Steven Jones – Anchor, Host, Rocking the Valley and owner, creator, JAFO (just another F observer) of same. My performing career started at six when I sang lead in a concert about the American West… yes, I sang ten little Indians in Spanish. And I remember it. Reciting it may cause diplomatic issues with Spain, Mexico or Puerto Rico. So please… I went on to play accordion in various completions and learned to play drums as well. I participated in at least two garage bands that went nowhere. Kids in the 70’s had little or no opportunity to expand their music. I eventually ending up demonstrating Lowry organs at the Palmer Mall for several years. At 19, I opened a DJ business which I ran until I was 30. After about a 17-year absence from the business, I returned in an Elvis Tribute band followed by a few efforts of my own and eventually Rocking the Valley. Rocking the Valley was created mainly for kicks. I had been hospitalized for an extended period of time due to a near fatal car wreck. The body creaked and moaned but, the spirit was willing. So, off I went, following a dream, being on radio, that I had since I was a teen. Technology caught up with imagination and Rocking the Valley went video. Three Awards and uncounted nominations since 2015 later, my band of rebels is going strong. We’ve made a surprising impact on the Lehigh Valley and we’re looking forward for many more years of service. www.steelnotesmagazine.com

Thank You for Your Support Letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s make 2020 our best year yet.

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JTâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S VINTAGE AUDIO & VINYL ATTIC TREASURES Vinyl description: Band: Ramones Title:The Road to Ruin Year Released:1978 Back in 1978 The Road to Ruin by The Ramones was the icing on the cake. After they explored different recording methods and producers,and got rid of the drama that ate away at the band, the band became more focused. But all that aside the first four albums (especially the first three) can be listened to, and you can truly understand what the band was about and was attempting to accomplish musically.

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JT’S VINTAGE AUDIO & VINYL ATTIC TREASURES Sansui G7500 DC Pure Power AM/FM Stereo Receiver Year Released: 1978

The 1978 Sansui G7500 DC Pure Power AM/FM Stereo Receiver was a very popular choice for any person who wanted a very high end quality sound receiver! With a price of $900.00 back in ‘78 it just showed how much someone was willing to pay for such high quality sound! This is equivalent to be about $3000.00 by today’s standards!. In February 2019, I managed to purchase this for a small price of $65.00 at an Estate sale!!... Getting up early to be at any estate sale is the key!...To be one of the first people in line in a such a place takes a little planning. When I walked into the living room I quickly claimed my treasure by not moving away from this vintage receiver and claiming my treasured prize! Thank you for reading my first article on my vintage audio purchases and many more to come on Steel Notes Magazine!

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People to Watch - Update by Josie Janci THE MYSTERY CONTINUES…… Last month I told you about a new musical endeavor called the Kevin Shire Project. The Shire project is creating quite a buzz within the LV musician’s scene. The full band, promising to be a “who’s who” in skilled Lehigh Valley Musicians has officially started practicing, and I got a quick aural glimpse of their sound; and I can say this….it’s good…really good. The man with the vision is keeping most things mysterious but I can share some details on the lineup wth you now

The first official practice was on Saturday the roster consisted of Kevin Shire, Mike Stanley, Rick Kuebler, Jason Tres and Chris Tres. Next weeks practice, is rumored to have some additional guests, including yours truly! The other guests are musicians, I’m just an interested party. Be sure to check out website for up to date information www. steelnotesmagazine.com, and our facebook page for real-time happenings! More details soon but for now – just keep watching “The Shire Project”!!

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Punk. Rock. PERIOD. All things punk in the Lehigh valley and beyond! by Josie Janci THE INFESTATION THAT COULD SET A RECORD!!! This issue’s featured band is Houston and the Dirty Rats. This 6 year old skate punk band from Phillipsburg NJ consists of guitarist, vocalist, band leader, promotions manager, booking contact and all around punk rock good guy- Houston Herman, his brother Hot Shot Will on the skins and Baron Gerard on bass. The three piece garage band that draws its musical influence 90’s skate punk music, has a sound most similar to Nofx right now, and that’s working out just fine for these guys. They will tell ya, in fact , that they are living the dream! Huston was kind enough to interview with me from his hotel room in Buffalo NY last weekend where he was doing a short solo tour. He shared some influences and goals but mostly I discussed the crazy concept they had and executed last year – 100 SHOWS IN 100 DAYS! Now, call me cynical but doing that many shows for pop music bands is difficult; but for a punk rock band it would seem to be only tougher, and Houston had to know that. So we started at the beginning – whose crazy idea was this? Like so many good ideas the whole concept began after and evening of freely flowing beer. The guys were talking about some band who had done a 60 day tour…with days off and pussy shit like that… so they decided they were going to one up everyone and do 100 shows in 100 days. Huston said that kinda became the band’s mantra in 2018”100 shows/100 days 2019” So when November came, Huston decided it was time to get booking! Imagine the massive undertaking this had to be- 100 shows in 100 days….that means your trying to book a punk rock gig in a strange town for a Tuesday night….OVER 30 TIMES!

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Huston himself was well aware of what the band was trying to do-and he said had it not been for the amount of touring they have previously done and the backing of the punk rock community they couldn’t have done it. As it stands – they did. 100 DIY shows in 100 days. They played all kinds of gigs from a skating rink in Seattle to The Misfits Saloon in MN and house parties, bars, outside venues or whatever they could find…in between. And guess what – they broke even on the tour!! Un-freaking-heard of. The true ticket to their success is how well received they are in the punk rock community, and specifically the underground circuit. For them to be so well respected and received across the county shows that these guys have what it takes to keep on keeping on. So the end of the story is this – they did it, and they are the first independent band to do so, and they are waiting to find out if they set a Guinness World Record - I’ll be sure to update readers if they did! The band was nominated for The Lehigh Valley Music Awards as the Best Punk Rock Band and we wish them luck-but personally; I think the win is in the nomination!

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And what’s next you may ask? Well the plan for 2020 is a US Tour, Alaska and even Europe. These punks make plenty of sacrifices for this crazy schedule that barely keeps them supplied in beer and drumsticks but as The Stranglers said in the late 70’s “but the money’s no good, just get a grip on yourself” and it appears that hasn’t changed. Check them out on bandcamp https://houstondirtyrats.bandcamp.com/ And see their new video “Skunk in New York” on YouTube https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=gvE9UMEc9P0

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2019 RECAP FEATURED FILM: DOCTOR SLEEP The 2019 Film Doctor Sleep is a sequel to The Shining (1980), which was written by Stephen King and directed by Stanley Kubrick. The span between films is almost 40 years, but works surprisingly well. The new film is written and directed by Mike Flanigan and stars Ewan McGregor, Rebecca Ferguson, Kyleigh Curran and Cliff Curtis. The adult life of Danny Torrance is followed in Doctor Sleep. Danny, who has psychic abilities and struggles with childhood trauma is now an alcoholic to deal with his demons, as his father did. A cult of psychic vampires extend their lifespan by consuming â&#x20AC;&#x153;steamâ&#x20AC;?, a psychic essence released as they torture and kill children who have the shining. Danny begins to telepathically communicate with a young girl with powers even stronger than his and must save her from the cult. Overall, I found the film very entertaining, and one of the best genre films of the year. Doctor Sleep gives several nods to The Shining, which should be satisfying for most fans of the classic original.

Dex Shellhammer is a lifelong horror movie fanatic. He contributed to underground horror films with his music as well as having minor acting roles. Dex is a Lehigh Valley music scene veteran as a singer/ songwriter and founding member of longtime heavy metal band Father of Sin. He also recently started a goth/ industrial band under his last name, Shellhammer. 64

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2019 Recap: 20 of 2019â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Horror Movies 3 From Hell Annabelle Comes Home The Banana Splits Movie Black Christmas Bliss Crawl Doctor Sleep Escape Room Glass The Haunting of Sharon Tate I Trapped the Devil IT Chapter Two Mercy Black Midsommar Pet Sematary The Prodigy Rabid Ready or Not Satanic Panic Zombieland: Double Tap www.steelnotesmagazine.com

Meet Alyssa Hankey Review by Jim Allford Meet ALYSSA HANKEY which hails from rural Pittsburgh, Pa. She has many musical influences ranging from Dean Martin to Led Zeppelin. On her ‘off time’ she is a graphic designer and she earned her art degree from Indiana University of Pennsylvania. The musicians that played on this 12 song CD are: JASON GAMBLE; Backing vocals; MATT SNYDER: Bass; CODY LEMMON; Bass; NASHWAN ABDULLAH; Violin; STEFAN PETRIGAC; Cajon and MIKE ANDERSON; Banjo & guitar. This CD was Produced, Mixed and Mastered by Alyssa Hankey. 1968 kicks off this CD with Alyssa strumming her guitar that has a great beat. When Alyssa sings she will really get your attention. The reflections of her sounding like Janis Joplin is truly stunning. THE FLOOD starts off with a great harmonica intro that you’ll just love. The lyrics are amazing as she draws you into the song. LOVE SONG is quite another treat as she sings about love from her heart. The stripped down, raw sound is great to hear which I find a real highlight! SOLDIERS & GYPSIES has a sweet guitar intro that can hit you right in your heart. She sweeps you away as she draws you in more and more as the sing goes on. REMINGTON JOHN is a real standout as she gets your attention real fast as she tells the story of what has been. I WENT RAMBLIN’ ends this magnificent CD and this song will take you on quite a unforgettable journey. This CD is a MUST to have and I highly recommend it. You can hear Alyssa’s heart and soul just pour out of this CD. I want to give a BIG THANK YOU to Alyssa Hankey for being in touch with me and a great job to all involved in the making of this CD. You can find ALYSSA HANKEY at: www.alyssahankey.com, Facebook, Spotify, CD Baby Music Store, Twitter, The Hawkeye, Bandcamp, Instagram, Apple Music, iTunes, Amazon and Reverbnation. ROCK ON, JIM ALLFORD

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La Machine De Reve: Welcome to the Dream Machine Review by Jim Allford LA MACHINE DE REVE is a adult alternative pop/rock band hailing from Los Angeles, Calif. The main band members are: DONNA DE LORY: Vocals; GREGORY DAVID ANSIN- Guitar, filmmaker; ANTHONY J. RESTA- Music guru, producer. The additional musicians are: Tim Pierce-Guitar; Dave Allen-Drums; Stevie BlackeStrings; Garrett Savluk-Trumpet and Steve Olmon-Assist. Engineer. This 9 song CD was Produced by La Machine De Reve and Mixed by Karyadi Sutedja, plus, Mastered by Carl Saff. RED TWILIGHT kicks off this CD is quite hypnotic and will take you to another time and place. I’m sure the music will stay in your head for quite some time. TEMPORARY is a song that will go deep into your heart and soul as you’ll feel your be floating away, lost in their sound. HOLLYWOOD DAYDREAM is sweet, popish song with a great upbeat tempo that you’ll want to play over and over again. The melody will stay in your head for days. BYE BYE BABY has a excellent beat and a great soulful melody that you can’t get enough of. You’ll swear you’re in a New Orleans club feeling all the great vibes that bounces off the wall. This song is a MUST to hear. OPEN YOUR HEART ends this CD, which is the Madonna song. The music is kept simple as Donna carries the song and makes it her own. This song is a treat for everyone to hear and a real highlight to hear. This CD is quite a artful masterpiece and a joy for all to hear. You can find that band at: www.lamachinedereve.com ; Facebook, Google Music, Amazon, Spotify, Discogs, CD Baby Store, Soundcloud, You Tube, Bandsintown, Twitter, Napster, Apple Music and quite a few other pages. I want to give a big SHOUT OUT and Thank you to GREG ANSIN for getting in touch with me and giving me the opportunity to review this amazing band. ROCK ON, JIM ALLFORD

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CONTROVERSIAL ARTIST PAINTS A DIFFERENT VIEW FOR THE MASSES by Nick Christophers When you look at James Massacci’s work you’re not sure whether to love it or hate it. It has a distinct effect on the viewer forcing them to figure out what the artist was trying to convey. After a while it dawns on them that the artist has a story to tell and needs to be heard. James has been at the art game for the past fifteen years ever since celebs became interested in his art is when he jumped head first into his work. Two of his biggest inspirations of his current work are Andy Warhol and Bansky. Bansky’s pieces really motivated James to approach his work in a more provoking and controversial way. The premise of his work is supposed to be powerful and thought provoking using his art as a platform to express himself. His earliest works were reflective of his hometown of Ohio with its sometimes bleak back drops and cold winters. Yet since he moved to sunny Florida his pieces have adopted more of an 80’s retro look with brighter colors. He has had numerous shows from NY to California. So far he has been a part of eight exhibits and is in five galleries across the US (NY, FL, AZ, IL and CA). His most recent show at the Barker Hangar in Santa Monica, CA was one of his best. James was very successful in showing his work and selling many pieces. He has also sold private collections to such individuals like rappers Killa Mike and EL-P, Freeway Rick Ross, Michael Blanco (Cartel Show) to Bay area rapper named Berner. Besides his painting of projects like “The Celebrity” or “Camouflage” which are his favorite pieces he also works on collages. What he does is interesting where he collects vintage magazines like Hustler, Playboy, Life, Time etc. and creates a large piece using the covers. He completed one called “Life Sucks” which is 5 x 4 feet. At the moment he is working on a large painting which is 4 x 8 feet of an Instagram heart with the quote below which says, “Looks so much like love but it’s always just a like”. James’ work spans different areas whether it be comical, provoking or just bursting with edginess it leaves its mark. He is a one of kind artist in today’s art world that dares to press the panic button with his work. Maybe he has the right idea to make people think and create conversation to divert from the norm. You can check out his work and learn of his next show that may be in your area on his site below. Be prepared to be blown away. https://www.instagram.com/massacciart/ www.steelnotesmagazine.com

GEORGE ANDREAKOS GRACES THE SCREEN ONCE AGAIN IN NEW MOB FILM: MOB TOWN by Nick Christophers

Since the closing of “Boardwalk Empire” there have not been many quality mob genre projects to entertain the masses. Aside from the release of the project “The Vault” there has been a void in that genre. Then director Danny A. Abeckaser decided to fill that void with the film “Mob Town” which was originally titled “Apalachin”. The film is part fiction part non-fiction, yet more of the later. 70

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The project is a period-piece that takes place in the late 50’s during what would be become a turning point for law enforcements battle against organized crime. The project focuses on the famous meeting of the most powerful mobsters of our time. On November 14, 1957 over a hundred mobsters from across America convened to solidify the future of what was yet known as the mafia. The chosen location for this grand meeting of criminal minds was at the home of mob associate Joe “Joe the Barber” Barbara in upstate Apalachin, New York. It turned out that a state trooper named Edgar D. Croswell had stumbled upon the Barbara home and noticed expensive Cadillac’s filling up his long driveway. He also noticed even earlier that Barbara’s son was booking rooms in various hotels for that specific time of the meeting. The film “Mob Town” takes you into that specific high end meeting and the steps state trooper Croswell took to ruin it. Greek-American actor, George Andreakos felt he would be a good fit for the project. It turned out that he was offered the role of gangster, Frankie. George who had worked with director Danny A. Abeckaser on past films was contacted by him to audition for the role and aced it. He had the pleasure of sharing the set with David Arquette who plays the officer, Ed Croswell. Danny Abeckaser plays the role of mob host, Joe Barbara. “On this particular movie I was on the set with David but did not work with him directly but watching such a talented actor action was an incredible experience. You can learn so much from him simply being on set. Being in the same film and on set with David Arquette, Jennifer Esposito , Danny A. Abeckaser , Jamie Lyn Sigler , P.J. Byrne , Robert Davi , Garry Pastore , Gino Cafarelli , Diana Madison , Kyle Stefanski , Stevie Guttman and so many more has taken my career to another level.” As we explained earlier the film’s original name was “Apalachin” but after it was picked up by Seban films they felt they needed a more relatable / marketable name and tilted towards “Mob Town”. Even though the project did not have a major motion picture budget it seems that Danny Abeckaser had managed to create that kind of feel. The film is not just a mob flick but also offers a love story along with comedic moments. Danny himself had a role as Louie the Deadbeat in another recent mob film “The Irishman” alongside Robert DeNiro. https://youtu.be/Ipd0nf62eZw George is currently in post-production on a new project entitled “BlackJack-The Jackie Ryan Story”, which is also directed by Danny Abeckaser. George ends up on set with talented actors like David Arquette, Brandon Thomas Lee, Greg Finley, Ashley Greene, James Madio, Tara Westwood, David Fierro and Ari Barkan. The film is based on true life events in the life of Jack Ryan. On this project George plays a key role opposite David Arquette playing his character’s best friend through-out the movie. George has been in the acting game for some time now and is always looking to extend his talent to new and more interesting projects. You can find the film “Mob Town” which is now available on online stores like Amazon. Check out the trailer and be sure to look for George Andreakos when viewing the whole film. http://m.imdb.com/name/nm6776536

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The Adventures of LUCIA & GLYNN Our First Stop was Hong Kong Disney. Did you know -The iconic Disney Castle in Hong Kong Disneyland is the only Disney castle in the world to feature an actual real mountain behind it. -There are 3 main languages at the Hong Kong Disneyland, which the staff use to guide people: English, Mandarin, and Cantonese. Second stop was Hawaii with Glynn’s kids. The state of Hawaii consists of eight main islands: Niihau, Kauai, Oahu, Maui, Molokai, Lanai, Kahoolawe and the Big Island of Hawaii. Hawaii is the most isolated population center on the face of the earth. Hawaii is the only state that grows coffee. We were on the land of Kauai and got to see the entire island while we were there and got to experience a lot of its culture. Our third stop was Toronto - we got to see U2 at the Skydome / Rogers Center. The best experience of this trip was seeing the dome open during the set. Thankfully it didn’t rain. Toronto, the capital of Ontario, is the largest city in Canada and also one of the most diverse. It’s home to a dynamic mix of tourist attractions, from museums and galleries to the world famous CN Tower and, just offshore, Toronto Islands. And just a short drive away is Niagara Falls. Our fourth stop was China. Facebook is blocked in China, so using a VPN was very challenging. Seeing the Disney out there was very interesting and seeing them do things different was awesome. China, officially the People’s Republic of China, is a country in East Asia and is the world’s 72

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most populous country, with a population of around 1.428 billion in 2017. Covering approximately 9,600,000 square kilometers, it is the third-largest or the fourthlargest country by area . Touring down the Yangtze River and seeing ChungChing with all the people, wow. that was more then NYC has right now. Our fifth stop was DC: Washington, DC, the U.S. capital, is a compact city on the Potomac River, bordering the states of Maryland and Virginia. It’s defined by imposing neoclassical monuments and buildings – including the iconic ones that house the federal government’s 3 branches: the Capitol, White House and Supreme Court. It’s also home to iconic museums and performing-arts venues such as the Kennedy Center. I love Georgetown, and love National Harbor. The casino is beautiful here. Our last and final stop was Portugal and Germany. Portugal is a southern European country on the Iberian Peninsula, bordering Spain. Its location on the Atlantic Ocean has influenced many aspects of its culture: salt cod and grilled sardines are national dishes, the Algarve’s beaches are a major destination and much of the nation’s architecture dates to the 1500s–1800s, when Portugal had a powerful maritime empire. WE didn’t get much time here we pretty much was passing through but it was nice to see.

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Germany - Germany is a Western European country with a landscape of forests, rivers, mountain ranges and North Sea beaches. It has over 2 millennia of history. Berlin, its capital, is home to art and nightlife scenes, the Brandenburg Gate and many sites relating to WWII. Munich is known for its Oktoberfest and beer halls, including the 16th-century HofbrĂ¤uhaus. Frankfurt, with its skyscrapers, houses the European Central Bank. This was the first time we went here for Christmas. Definitely a memory I will never forget.

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Luca Cerardi Interviews

Alex Skolnick Another great musician who let me grow in the music industry. His level, his skills, his music always inspired and inspire many so it is a great honor to share this interview with Alex Skolnick.

with Randy Rhoads, which made me want to be a solist. Later, it was instrumental guitarists such as John Scofield, Pat Metheny and John McLaughlin who inspired me to be an improviser.

1 - What does to play guitar mean to you? Playing guitar to me is a form of expression. It’s a way of communicating ideas, expressing energy and emotions as well as sharing musical ideas that I enjoy and channeling them into my own interpretations. 2 - W ho inspired you along your career? Different musicians have inspired me at different points in my career. When I was very young, I loved The Beatles (and still do) as well as rock from the 1950s, especially Chuck Berry. Then when I discovered Kiss and AC/DC, I finally decided to play guitar at age ten. I wasn't sure if I was going to be singer/guitarist or a lead guitarist, until I heard early Van Halen and Ozzy

3 - Did your family supported you in the early days or did you have to fight to play?

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I definitely had to fight to play! My parents are Ivy League academics with distinguished careers in sociology and psychology, which was about as far from the arts and creativity as possible. Today they are incredibly supportive and you'd never know how against my pursuit of a music career they were. 4 - Which is the turning point of your career? Who is particoular person that helped you to become a professional musician you want to thank? There are a few. I would definitely say joining Testament at age sixteen and doing my first performances was a turning point. A few years later bassist Stu Hamm, whom I'm still performing with, gave my first chance to play music outside of heavy metal. He had performed with Joe Satriani and Joe had been the first serious musician I'd study with. I have to thank both of them for the instrumental side of my career.

was also Vio-lence and Forbidden. Of course the big one was Metallica but even back then, Metallica was already quite well known and identified with the "Bay Area Sound" but they felt light years ahead and in a category of their own (which they still are). Still it's quite amazing to think about how important our little scene is considered today. 6 - What does Testament become for you? Now you still part of the band after more than 30 years. One word to describe this life experience and why? It is a very different experience today and I'd say its better. Being an adult (and no longer a "young adult!") I think is much more comfortable. When you're young everyone is trying to find their identity and me doing something like learning jazz guitar and going back to school is no longer some crazy "shock," everyone knows that's a part of me an it's not this weird thing. I was also out of the band for about half of those 30 years, although I helped build it in the beginning. One word to describe the experience: evolution. 7 - You played then in Savatage and later on with TSO. Which part of your life these bands rapresent to you?

5 - Testament is your beginning in what then become the Bay Area Thrash Metal. What do you remember of those early days? And what do you think now about those times, knowing that you were part of a musical movment that changed the rock metal music all around the world? At the time, it wasn't clear how influential our scene would be. It was really a logical part of becoming young adults - we liked music and went to local concerts, while those of us who played instruments joined bands or started bands and hoped to go somewhere. There were many more bands than just the main ones people refer to, such as my band, Exodus, Death Angel. There

I look at both these bands as transitional. When I worked with Savatage, I was finding my way after being in the "bubble" of Testament for many years at a very young age. And in a strange way, TSO helped me find my way back to Testament. For a few years, I'd mostly played jazz guitar and now I was playing very large venues (larger than Testament), including Madison Square Garden, doing the screaming electric lead guitar thing again, which helped my performance skills immensely. When I came back to Testament, I had many more skills than when I'd left. 8 - In the middle, the jazz experience that still going on today, New York city and a complete different music to play. From Thrash to Jazz. Are them real different?

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They are very different. There are different skills needed to work in each idiom and with the musicians who are usually very different types of players. It is a bit like driving a car and riding a bicycle - both are moving vehicles but they feel different and require different techniques. 9 - Seems your soul can be split, when do you need the power of metal and when the atmosphere of the jazz? What connect once with the other so who is the “One”, I mean the Alex that can do all of this?

San Francisco is a beautiful city with nice weather and great food. The problem is that things happen too slowly, it takes a long time to get from one place to another and everything closes early. New York City is the cultural center of the world, there is always great music to hear, art to see and other things to do. It is also easier to get from one place to another. The problem is that it gets very cold in the winter. And a problem with both places: they are very expensive to live! But New York is more worth it, in my opinion.

I think of it more like an actor playing very different roles, the way you could see Patrick Stewart doing Star Trek or Shakespeare. Or the way someone like Rick Rubin could go from producing Slayer to Johnny Cash, bringing out the best in both. I think as long as there is passion for whatever project you're working on, whatever style, as well as good collaborators, you can't lose. I'm someone with many different appreciations, so I guess that is the "one." 10 - You have such many interests, so what do you like to do when you don’t play guitar? Outside of music, my main passion is books, literary fiction and non-fiction. I also like writing myself. I pay attention to world events and follow news (a bit more than I should) 11 - You are also and educator but you were a student (Joe Satriani…), what do you think is the most important think you want to teach and the students (or people) reach, that you learnt from your experience, your life, and your teachers? There are so many things. I couldn't possibly include them all, but one of the most important ideas that came to me over time: There is always room for growth. I'm still learning all the time. As soon as you stop growing, learning, improving, being open to new ideas, that's when things stop happening. 12 - San Francisco and New York city. What best and worst of each one of them?

13 - W hich is your favourite food? I love many cuisines, French, Korean, Italian, Mexican, but my favorite is Indian. 14 - What kind of music is most appealing to you nowadays? What makes you feel good? It may be surprising but I mostly listen to classical piano music. The main reason is much of the other music I like, jazz, metal etc... gets my brain moving and I want to pick up an instrument, play along and start working on song. Classical piano

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and other atmospheric music allows my brain to relax.

today’s music industry? Is still possible in your opinion?

15 - What is your “philosophy” in life as a musician and as a man?

Every path is different. So many try to be the "next" Jimi Hendrix, Van Halen, SRV or whoever, but you can only be the first "you." So many great careers are completely accidental. It has to do with searching and trying different things. It felt right for me to be a professional improviser/composer who works who started playing in a metal band (and still does). I think the biggest mistake musicians make is trying to move in directions that you "think" will bring you success, "chasing" popularity and seeking approval from others. The truth is that you should really ONLY focus on music that makes you happy, even if it is not popular. If there is a certain sound that YOU love and you do it well, maybe it will be YOU that makes it popular! Yet, even if it is not popular, if it is done well, then you are successful!

I often feel life is a bit like the film "The Matrix," which is actually based on centuries old western philosophy. I don't believe everything we experience is a dream, but it's very good metaphor for the way things are. There are so many illusions that we later find out are completely false. I'm sure everyone can think of a few famous ones (I won't name them so I won't get in trouble). There are so many other people and products who are built on illusions. I've always preferred truth and honesty and that affects every note I play as a musician. Its harder to be someone whose existence is based on truth, but it's so much more valuable.

17 - The music world quickly went from cassettes to social media. What’s your view on this big shift, both from a technological and business perspective? Overall, I think it's more fun today. It is a miracle to me that a performance I gave last weekend was captured with a video on someone's phone, they were able to upload it to social media, I can share it with my followers, and they enjoy it. Cassettes were ok for sharing recordings with friends, but for live music, they sounded absolutely terrible. So even thought it's a bit overwhelming, many are "oversharing" (sharing too much on social media) and there are concerts where too many people are holding up their phones, overall, I think the quality of sharing the music is better and there are more opportunities, so I look at it as a good thing.

16 - What’s your advice to all musicians around the world who want to be “successful” in

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LIVE REVIEW Adam Ant Glam Skanks The Royal Concert Hall, Glasgow 21 November 2019 Review by Leonard Hoggan Photos by Steven Scouller Normally the Royal Concert Hall is an all seated theatre, but tonight the seats in the stalls have been removed and the diehard Adam Ant fans have arrived early to claim prime spots at the front. Those arriving early were treated to an energetic performance from all female LA glam rockers Glam Skanks, drawing largely from their latest release â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Anything In Betweenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; - the first to feature vocalist Vanessa and drummer Jessica. Both impress tonight and are great additions. In Vanessa McNeil they have a great frontwoman who works every inch of the stage. But more importantly, she has the vocal range and bags of power to back it up. 82

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It’s a confident set by the band which ends on ‘The Spirit Of Rock And Roll’, with blue haired guitarist Veronica suitably doing a Chuck/Angus duck walk across the stage during her solo. The band left the stage to warm applause, having clearly won over the Glasgow crowd. It’s nearly 40 years since I bought ‘Kings Of The Wild Frontier’ then joined the only fan club I’ve ever been in. But by the time I was old enough to start going to gigs, my musical tastes had changed and until tonight, I’d never seen Adam Ant live. And that’s a great pity because I loved tonight’s show. The current tour sees him playing “hit album Friend Or Foe album in its entirety and other favourites”. I expected ‘other favourites’ to largely be made up from the hit singles - and of course Adam had many of those! But tonight we got two hours of music which not only included some of the pop hits, but focused more on his earlier punk/post punk material and b-sides. And make no mistake, this was very much a rock show, particularly once FOF set was over. But I’m getting ahead of myself. The set opened of course with ‘Friend or Foe’ which featured the trademark tribal drumming that is the basis for so many of Adam Ants best songs. The two drummers work great together, one laying down the beat and the other generally doing the busier tom work. It’s great to watch. And at times during the gig even the guitarists and bass player join in the fun on drums. Adam may have lost a little bit of his spring (he’s in his 60s remember, although certainly doesn’t look it), however, he’s constantly on the move and playing up to the fans who lapped it up. Other high points of the 12 song FOF set were ‘Desperate But Not Serious’, the rockabilly ’Place In The Country’ (guitar replacing the horns), and ‘Crackpot History’. One or two of the songs towards the end of the album were a bit weaker, but things soon picked up again! Incredibly this was followed by another 17 songs. ‘Dog Eat Dog’ kicked things off, all drums and scratching guitar. A few songs later Adam tells us things are about to really kick off - cue breakthrough single ‘Antmusic’ which the crowd sing pretty much every word of. Then he straps on a guitar and we get a great hat-trick of early tracks ‘Zerox’, ‘Car Trouble’ and ‘Ants Invasion’. Things are lightened with ‘Prince Charming’ and ‘Puss ‘n Boots’ before we get a brilliant punk medley of ‘Lady’ straight into ‘Fall-In’ followed a thunderous ‘Kings Of The Wild Frontier’. ‘Stand And Deliver’ becomes a sing-along and ends the main set, but there’s no way the crowd are letting the band away without playing some more. First encore is ‘Press Darlings’, then Adam grabs his guitar again to round off a brilliant night with two gritty, menacing tracks ‘Red Scab’ and ‘Physical (You’re So)’. The UK tour continues until 12 December. If they’re playing in your area, get along - you won’t be disappointed. www.steelnotesmagazine.com

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Album Review: Collateral by Rockfiend Publications Scotland ALBUM REVIEW Collateral ‘Collateral’ Since releasing their ‘4 Shots!’ EP in November of last year, a lot has happened for Ramsgate’s Collateral – being tipped by many within the UK rock press as one of the main bands to watch, being added to the bill at Ramblin’ Man Fair and supporting Jon Bon Jovi on his European summer cruise to name but a few. And now approaching the end of 2019 comes through the review copy of their muchanticipated debut album scheduled for release in February. The first thing to note is that credit is due for avoiding the first trap which can be experienced with debut albums. When looking forward to the release of a new album there is nothing worse than discovering that an album is little more than a re-release of an earlier EP with the addition of a few new songs. Not so ‘Collateral’. The only song repeated from the ‘4 Shots!’ EP is ‘Midnight Queen’ complemented by 8 new songs. From album opener, and first single ‘Mr Big Shot’ (with it’s incredible bass sound) 86

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through to closer ‘About This Boy’, the quality of the material is very high. ‘Promiseland’ demonstrates that Collateral can riff with the best of them and craft a perfectly building song. The ‘Wanted Dead or Alive’–era ‘Merry Go Round’ follows before leading into a run of three very strong songs - ‘In It For Love’, the non-lullaby that is ‘Lullaby’ and the outstanding ‘Midnight Queen’ which deservedly earns a second airing here. Any self-respecting ‘80’s soft rock style album wouldn’t be complete without a BIG ballad to wave your lighter or mobile phone to (for today’s generation of fans) and ‘Get Back To You’ doesn’t disappoint. ‘Won’t Stop Me Dreaming’ picks up the pace again before ending with the countrier rock sounding ‘About This Boy’. Make no mistake, everything about ‘Collateral’ is big – the production, the guitars (Jackson, what else?), the bass, the drums, the vocals, the choruses, the melodies, the harmonies and the ambition. Had Collateral been playing in the late ‘80’s there is no doubt they would have out-played, out-sold and out-rocked many of the acts who influenced them. And as for their influences? There are too many to name. The obvious comparisons with early Bon Jovi are there (to which I suspect Collateral were exposed on heavy rotation while gestating in the womb and ever since), through Bad English, John Waite (solo), Loverboy and a host of other acts to Rick Springfield and The Eagles. Their softer country-rock leaning sound which was much in evidence on their EP is still there, but on balance on this album the band have allowed their rockier side to come to the fore. This works for me. For lovers of AOR and 80’s softer rock this album provides much to feast and gorge on, while leaving plenty to come back for later. Collateral are exceptionally good at what they do. Speaking to Rockfiend last year, Collateral frontman Angelo Tristan was clearly surprised by the reception to their debut EP and the hype which had built. On the basis of ‘Collateral’, Collateral have followed through and delivered. Whether this style of rock will ever reach the stadium heights that it did in the ‘80’s, Collateral proudly bear the standard and will give it their best (big) shot. Collateral are: Angelo Tristan (vocals and guitar) Todd Winger (guitar) Jack Bentley Smith (bass) Ben Atkinson (drums) ‘Collateral’ will be released on 21 February 2020. GMcA

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“Love this. Get your ears around it. You won’t be disappointed.”

EP Review: She Burns Red “Take Back Tomorrow” Every now and again you experience the pleasure of hearing a new, young band which turns your head and reminds you how much life is still left in our local music scenes and gives you hope for the future. I’d not previously heard of She Burns Red or had the pleasure to listen to their material. Learning that they had the potential makings of a central Scotland supergroup with the recent inclusion of Hannah McKay (ex Amorettes) and Jay Moir (of the excellent The King Lot) in their ranks I was intrigued. Even more so, when I discovered Toby Jepson (Little Angels, Wayward Sons) had handled production duties on the EP. The first thing to say is that She Burns Red provide something distinctive and fresh and are so much more than just an offshoot from either of the above bands. And it is also very obvious what attracted musicians of Hannah‘s and Jay’s ability to the band. 88

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Centred around the dual fronted vocal talents of Andy Moore (guitar and vocals) and James McCulloch (bass and vocals), She Burns Red are a very powerful and direct 4-piece band who straddle rock genres. As a lover of post-grunge, the obvious comparisons with the Foo Fighters are there, but they also remind me of early ‘A Boy Named Goo’-era The Goo Goo Dolls and the band’s love of The Wildhearts never feels far from the surface. Putting that together and with their own originality thrown in, the results are pretty special and different. And if you like your rock heavy, with thoughtful, well-written and played songs bulging with hooks, melodies and riffs there is much for you here. Opening with an 80’s searching guitar intro, ‘Copernicus Falls’ wastes no time in flexing it’s grungier muscles before settling into an up-tempo, melodic and in places thrashy rocker complete with memorable chorus. Next up is ‘Crosshairs’ which by the second listen you will be singing along with like an old friend, as the weaving in and out guitar melody takes this song to another level. ‘Gone’ finds the band channelling their inner Metallica, as the vocals and melody build, driven along by a seriously ferocious and tight rhythm section. Final track ‘Tell Me How It Ends’ takes the pace down. Lyrically providing the inspiration for the EP’s title, and with the band both wearing their musical influences on their sleeves and adding another dimension of their own, the EP finishes with, for me, the strongest and most memorable song on display. Not to say that this was an easy choice, as each song on offer has it’s own distinct identity and personality and the quality throughout is very, very high. Finishing as strongly as this, ‘Take Back Tomorrow’ provides an impressive statement of intent and hints at much more to come from She Burns Red. In simple terms, a seriously good EP from a seriously good band. And I, for one, can’t wait to hear more from them. Love this. Get your ears around it. You won’t be disappointed. GMcA

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“So, go on, open a bottle, invite them in and prepare to sing along. But be warned, like their songs implanted in your brain, they may not leave.”

Tyla’s Dogs D’Amour ‘In Vino Verilivicus MMXIX’ ‘Live’ Album/DVD Review If you’re still emerging from the haze of New Year and don’t know quite what time of day it is, where you are, what your name is or what century you’re in, the latest release from Tyla’s Dogs D’Amour may provide just what you need to clear your mind and to give you something to look forward to in 2020. Recorded over two sweaty nights in London last summer (one electric, one acoustic), during the mini-tour to celebrate 30 years since the release of the classic ‘A Graveyard of Empty Bottles’, this release contains both an 18 track CD and 19 track DVD to maximise your audio-visual pleasure and to spoil you for choice. Given the time of year and that some of you may relate more to the need to lie down and watch a DVD while nursing a hangover, I’ll focus on the DVD version here. 90

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Opening powerfully by launching into a full band electric version of fan-favourite ‘Last Bandit’ this sets the tone for what is about to follow over the next 82 minutes and immediately reinforces the strength and depth of material penned by Tyla over the last 30+ years … no need to keep this in reserve for a set closer when everything that is to follow is at least as strong and you can choose to play any song anywhere in the set and it works, without worrying if you can follow it. No small achievement. Next up, and dropping the pace, is ‘I Think It’s Love Again’, in all it’s beautiful, singa-long, strummable sentimental glory, taken from the acoustic gig. When it comes to Tyla’s Dogs D’Amour “acoustic” can mean different things and you’re never sure quite what you’re going to get. Sometimes you get Tyla with just his acoustic Gibson guitar; other times Tyla with his guitar and accompanied by Matty on bass; and on this occasion we get the full band experience including Simon on drums and Gary with his Telecaster adding a few electric solos to augment the largely acoustic sound. I’ll not go into a full track-by-track review here. Instead, the more or less alternating format between electric and acoustic songs continues throughout the DVD, with the balance in favour of electric songs (11) over acoustic (8). Given the focus for the tour it rightly contains at it’s heart most of ‘Graveyard’ and with 7 out of the 8 original songs included it would be hard to complain – only ‘When the Dream Has Gone’ doesn’t make it here. It also includes four songs off of ‘In Vino Veritas’ to bring things up to date and a whole lot of Dogs’ favourites in between (‘Billy Two Rivers’, ‘Firework Girl’, ‘I Don’t Want You to Go’, ‘Heroine’, ‘Satellite Kid’, ‘How Come It Never Rains’). The live songs are also interspersed with some candid on-the-road ‘behind the scenes’ video footage shot by Si and Matty in case you needed anything more. Watching this, it’s clear to see that Tyla’s Dogs D’Amour are a band rejuvenated and enjoying themselves playing live. And also that fans are loving seeing them enjoying themselves playing live. There are many highlights and nice touches within this DVD. As always, the sentiment and emotion within the songs and Tyla’s delivery never fails to connect and if your heart is still beating it will beat a little larger watching this; cracking electric versions of ‘Comfort of the Devil’, ‘Saviour’ and ‘Angel’; a heart-stopping ‘So Once Was I’; watching the ease with which Tyla switches back to playing bass to allow Matty to showcase his harmonica playing on the bluesy acoustic ‘F**k Off Devil’; Si’s versatility of drum strokes, playing the cymbals with his fingers and getting a woman in a pub to say on camera how she much she loves the Dogs D’Amour, only for her then to ask “what’s that?” and being told they’re a band (!); Gary’s classy lead guitar work which always complements and never overshadows the songs; and the addition of Scotty Mulvey on piano on the electric outings knowing just where to add some magic. For anyone who hasn’t managed to catch them on the road over the last year or so, the DVD provides a great snapshot of where they are at now as a band. For me 2019 was the year in which I stopped thinking about “classic-era Dogs” and comparing all newer output against this. With the release of ‘In Vino Veritas’ in late 2018, Tyla, Gary, Matty and Si demonstrated beyond question that they could easily conjure up new material which is every bit as good as the classic Dogs’ tracks which we know and love. Equally, they have the confidence and maturity to explore other sounds as the mood takes them. They remain one of the best bands to have a drink to, sing along with and, if you’re lucky, to fall in love to. And watching the DVD you are struck by the fact www.steelnotesmagazine.com

that every song is there on merit, on quality, deserves it’s place in the set and not just because there has been a new album to flog. And for those who have seen Tyla’s Dogs D’Amour in recent years, and keep coming back for more, you’ll be aware that Tyla’s banter, storytelling and dodgy joke-telling have been taking on a life of their own and giving the musical parts of the set a run for their money – to the extent that I wouldn’t be surprised if he swops his wide-brimmed hat, starts wearing a Fez on stage and saying “Just Like That!” to introduce songs. The only surprise here is that the DVD is so packed with music that by comparison little of the banter which we have come to know, expect and respond to is captured here. But fear not. Never one to sit still or to be pigeonholed by a label (be it singer, songwriter, poet, musician, artist or, more recently, wine merchant), Tyla has found a further outlet for his creativity and will be releasing his own spoken word material in the not too distant future to satisfy your desire. And having heard some, I’m very confident it will. As a concert DVD the alternating mix of electric and acoustic tracks works really well, when it might have been more obvious just to include separate electric and acoustic sets. It will also bring the intimacy of a Tyla’s Dogs D’Amour gig into your living room. So, go on, open a bottle, invite them in and prepare to sing along. But be warned, like their songs implanted in your brain, they may not leave. In Vino Verilivicus MMXIX will be released on 22 February 2020, but is available for preorder from www.tylasarttavern.com Just far enough away to give you something to look forward to, to get you through January and February and to allow your pocket to recover from the festive period. Track listing: Last Bandit - Electric I Think It’s Love Again - Acoustic I Don’t Love Anyone (More Than I Love You) - Acoustic Comfort Of The Devil - Electric Chicago Typewriter – Acoustic (DVD only) Saviour - Electric Bullet Proof Poet - Electric Fuck Off Devil - Acoustic Angel - Electric Bottle Of Red - Electric Billy Two Rivers - Acoustic So Once Was I - Electric Firework Girl - Acoustic I Don’t Want You To Go - Electric Heroine - Electric Satellite Kid - Electric 111 - Acoustic How Come It Never Rains - Acoustic Errol Flynn – Electric GMcA

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Winter Storm Day One Friday 29 November 2019 Review by Iain McArthur Photos by MB Photography Scotland

It’s Year 4 but how do you further improve one of the best festivals on the circuit? You can’t beat a great indoor hall venue that has standing, seating and a great sound. It’s right by the beach in the middle of a nice wee town with superb organization and some of the nicest and most helpful people ever. So incremental improvements only but the new electronic backdrop was superb and the improved bar, food and merchandise layout were all smart moves. And then there was the best ever line up…. The Outlaw Orchestra got things going at 2:05PM with some southern-fried banjo and double bass action. You can always rely on WinterStorm pulling out some enjoyable wild cards and these guys went down very well with the early birds. 94

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The Pat McManus Band delivered a very tight set. With Rory and Gary gone, Pat’s left carrying the torch for Celtic blues. With outstanding support from his band mates, it’s no wonder he had a huge grin on his face as he ripped through some Mama’s Boys’ classics like ‘Straight Forward, No Looking Back’– even digging deep for a song from another era in ‘Belfast City Blues’ which he wrote when he was 18. Pete K Mally was on MC duties for the second stage and did a great job all weekend. The first band up there were local heroes Darkness Divine who mixed up the heavy, the epic and the melodic in an enthusiastic performance. They were still buzzing when they spoke to Rockfiend after the show (check it out on our You Tube channel). Singer Toni was in eye-catching form and Dave from A Ritual Spirit stepped in on drums to help out. There should be more new music from them next year. Grand Slam’s album ‘Hit the Ground’ was released only a few days before the show but they play most of it and there’s some familiar songs on there. Like Black Star Riders before them, they’ll always embrace their roots but it’s new music that will put some distance between them and their past. Mike Dyer on vocals is certainly a find and they were well received in the main hall. Popular Scottish six-piece, The Swamp Born Assassins, always put on a show and they do a fine job of promoting this year’s Dead Man’s Train album. There’s plenty harmonica and tambourine embedded in their enjoyable and muddy southern blues tunes like ‘Run to the Wildfire’. Those Damn Crows were definitely the ‘hot ticket’ of the afternoon, as evidenced by the packed Main Stage hall and the roars of anticipation that almost drowned out Uncle Tom Russell’s intro. They open with new song ‘Who Did It’ and for the next 40 minutes they blow people’s socks off with modern classics like ‘Someone Someday’ and ‘Rock n Roll Ain’t Dead’ alongside a handful of new tracks. Singer Shane gives the Health & Safety people a scare with his balcony clambering exploits before sitting down at the piano for a beautiful re-working of their best song ‘Blink of an Eye’. Don’t listen to

what the Chinese say - with a new album due in February, next year is going to be The Year of the Crow and it is no wonder that venues are being upgraded for the tour already. It’s back-to-back Scottish Bands at tea time on The South Beach Sessions Stage. The Toi are always a welcome addition to a festival and then Uproar do what their name suggests; there should be good things ahead for them. People are genuinely pleased to see the legendary Pete Way back on the scene and he generously spent time with Rockfiend for a great interview before the show. Obviously, some of his health problems are well known and he tells the stories in his excellent book and also in the titles of some of his songs like ‘Might As Well Go Drinking’ and ‘Narcotics’ - the latter being a track from his upcoming album which features contributions from Slash and Nikki Sixx among others. Of course, it’s the UFO classics people want to hear and he finishes the set with some of those, inevitably closing by calling ‘the Doctor’. Pete knows he’s not the best singer in the world but these are his songs and he’s supported by an excellent band plus backing vocals and a ton of goodwill from the audience, many of whom queued up to speak to the great man after the show. While the ‘OK Boomers’ are having a NWOBHM play date down the stairs, there’s a trio of young bands ripping Troon a new one on The Sessions Stage in the evening. Gin Annie UK bring youthful swagger and guy-liner to a packed hall plus the confidence that a well-received debut album provides. The same applies to Hollowstar and there’s a real buzz around them that they’ve earned from performances on tour. The room stays packed all night, in fact, it’s starting to get hot and stinky in there before Ablaze close it out. It seems there’s no tall singers in Melbourne as Danny looks no bigger than Brad out of Massive or Jason out of The Radio Sun. He’s got the moves though and wins friends by actually handing out drinks during ‘Where’s My Drink?’ - who would have thought an Aussie band would have a drinking song? ‘Bad Tattoo’ and ‘Long Way Home’ are also good songs and they should be able to build a following with repeat trips to the UK. Myke Gray is rightly well respected for his past work but has perhaps never quite had the level of recognition he deserves? That should all change now that he’s got the pocket rocket Kim Jennett beside him as nobody is going to ignore her. She’s a sensational performer and absolutely belts them out while performing acrobatics on the stage and on the balcony. Highlights include a sassy performance of Skin’s ‘Look But Don’t Touch’ so don’t miss them on tour in February 2020 (Bannermans on 1st March). 96

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In the pantheon of UK riff-meisters, surely only Iommi stands above Brian Tatler? The current version of Diamond Head is exceptional – Rasmus Bom Andersen keeps telling us he’s struggling but his vocals are outstanding and do great justice to the back catalogue. They’re not really evil, they’re just naughty boys, but of course they play ‘that song’ - one of the finest metal tunes of all time. Next up are FM and well...they’re FM so as always they’re effortlessly brilliant. They’re playing the whole of ‘Tough It Out’ on the December tour so they practice a few deep cuts tonight and, by the way, I think ‘Bad Luck’ is a finer AOR song than Bon Jovi’s ‘..Bad Name’ any day. We all know that Tommy used to work on the docks and Gina worked the diner all day but in another part of New Jersey, ‘Ricky was a young boy...’. SKID ROW are a great choice as headliner and they bring 3 original members, a decent stage show and a clutch of classic tunes to close out Day One. Former Dragonforce singer ZP Theart from South Africa might be the best pure singer they’ve ever had. The set includes ‘I Remember You’ and ‘Youth Gone Wild’ and even the crusty old rockers in the crowd go a bit wild for that. What a day. www.steelnotesmagazine.com

‘Sexy’ Lexi gets his vest off despite the cold – perhaps to show off the scars after he got bitten by a horse earlier in the day – don’t ask! Winter Storm Day Two Saturday 30 November 2019 Review by Iain McArthur Photos by MB Photography Scotland The line up for both stages today is ram-packed with talent. It’s all set up so that the timetables overlap and theoretically you can catch a little bit of all the bands but that leaves no time for a pie, a pee and a pint! Control The Storm are aptly named and they perform a powerful set to open the day at 12:20. They earned that slot the hard way by winning ‘Stormbreakers’ at The Dreadnought and boy do they deserve it on this form. They deliver a batch of heroic melodic power-metal songs from their recent album ‘Forevermore’ including ‘Strike to Defend’ and ‘Follow Me’. Firouzeh is stunning on vocals – she’s very theatrical and certainly makes an impression. They’ll be back for Wildfire in June. 98

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Quintessential old-school Scottish rockers Burnt Out Wreck have graduated to The Main Stage this year. They’ve got their own brand of whisky and a new album ‘This is Hell’ to promote and both go down very well with their punters today. Pretty boys The Brink are a massive favourite at Rockfiend HQ for good reason – they’ve got the looks, the moves and the songs that belong on the big stage. They mainly feature songs from the outstanding ‘Nowhere to Run’ album and they’ve got several big, radio-friendly bangers like ‘Never Again’, ‘Break These Chains’ and ‘Save Goodbye’ to show off. They play as a four-piece today and ‘Sexy’ Lexi gets his vest off despite the cold – perhaps to show off the scars after he got bitten by a horse earlier in the day – don’t ask! Female punk rock three-piece IDestroy came all the way from Bristol and back to open The South Beach Sessions Stage. They’re one of the youngest and punkiest bands ever to play the festival. The ‘mature’ Winterstorm crowd is probably not their ideal target demographic but they absolutely smashed it and it’s great to have such diversity on the bill. They open with their signature tune ‘I Destroy’ in a frenzied riot of energy that absolutely demands attention. They are so committed that Bec and Nicola actually crack heads at one point but they power through. They’ve done a lot of festivals this year including Zan Davi Festa in South Korea and they have big plans for next year (interview to follow on Rockfiend). The Amorettes finished their most peculiar year with a fine set and Mart Trail of Bootyard Bandits/Cult Classics filling in on bass. We will all be interested to find out what their next move is in due course. Popular Geordies Tomorrow is Lost are coming of age. They’ve signed to Eclipse Records with an album release in March 2020 and a home town launch party in Newcastle in April. Frontwoman Cass King has a loveable Ant or Dec style charm and of course she’s a Winterstorm legend after breaking her ankle in a fall from The Main Stage last year. This year they’re on the lower upstairs stage – just as well as she’s still at it, engaging with the crowd from the floor again, bless her. The rest of the band have really matured too and the new songs they played sound great, including ‘Pause Rewind’. This could be their moment with any luck. Like Diamond Head yesterday, both Praying Mantis and The Tygers of Pan Tang are thriving with newish band members keeping it fresh and great new songs to complement their illustrious back catalogues. John ‘Jaycee’ Cuijpers is immense on vocals for Mantis, especially on ‘Keep it Alive’. That’s also the title of their live CD / DVD due out in the next few days and if it captures a set as good as this it’s worth putting on your Santa list. Micky Crystal brings a lot to the Tygers on guitar and his solo on ‘Spellbound’ is particularly tasty. Their new album ‘Ritual’ is good and features great art work as usual – they are always dependable and well received in Ayrshire for a third time. Baleful Creed from Belfast were first-timers at the festival and a new band for most but they also had a lot of fans in the audience. They certainly made a lot of new friends over the weekend with fine tunes and bonhomie. They’re heavy but soulful and worth checking out.

Dead Mans Whiskey follow them onto the second stage and it’s absolutely rammed from the start. They’ve had an epic month with this festival and also an earlier appearance on the KISS Kruise that they won through a fans vote, so you can tell there’s a buzz about them. Neo-classical fretboard master Uli Jon Roth has just over an hour on stage but covers Electric Sun and of course ‘Tokyo Tapes’ era Scorpions’ material. Bassist Niklas Turmann provides lead vocals on most of the set which includes ‘In Trance’, ‘All Night Long’ & ‘The Sails of Charon’ and Uli still indulges his Hendrix fetish with the Bob Dylan penned ‘All Along the Watchtower’. By all accounts he was excellent on Sunday’s After the Storm show too. Everyday Heroes are well named. They’re unassuming and likeable young lads from The Valleys who’ve been gigging their socks off this year, including several Scottish road trips. They’ve developed a new set of blue-collar bluesy rock tunes and should have a debut album to show for it soon. JOANovARC explained their line up changes to us before the show and you can see that interview on our You Tube channel. Laura Ozholl takes a bigger share of the vocals and shines on songs like ‘Jane’ and there’s a fresh funky feel with the new rhythm section of Ellie Daymond and Keira Kenworthy. Keira delivers a bi-lingual vocal on ‘Say Sayonara’ but really excels with a virtuoso performance on a surprise cover of ‘Highway Star’ during which she replicates the organ parts on her Bass while Sam Walker does the shredding. Young Welsh rockers Mad Haven close the second stage in style and they’ve also got the best hair of the day. Well played lads. The consensus view is that Swedish rockers H.E.A.T delivered the finest performance of this, or any other, year at Winter Storm. That’s no surprise to those who have seen them before at HRH AOR but they took Troon by storm with an energetic and commanding performance. They are a really tight band with great backing vocals and that sets the platform for the Erik Gronwall show! If Tigger and the Duracell Bunny had a beautiful love-child and took away his Ritalin, it might have half the energy of this guy – he’s immense. He seems to take off an article of clothing for every song and just when you think he’s going to be down to his Bjorn Borg pants he starts putting stuff back on again – for a short time. He’s regularly in the crowd, dancing and jumping with the large posse of ladies (and Rockfiend’s Gareth) who are gathered at the front and he never misses a beat. This is a top quality melodic rock performance from start to finish and they deserve their ovation. There’s another album due out in February and some UK shows in the diary but no Scottish date yet – WTF? The ladies fade away and are replaced at the front by the guitar fan-boys who are here to see Viv Campbell and Last In Line. They have a tough act to follow but then they’ve got ‘Holy Diver’, ‘Rainbow in the Dark’ and other Dio classics in their repertoire so they’ve got nothing to worry about. Andrew Freeman does a great job on vocals so I can’t see him being replaced by a hologram any time soon. They close their headline set with ‘We Rock’ and they certainly do. There’s plenty variety at Winter Storm and they were band of the day for a lot of people too. 100

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We weren’t quite done though; those remaining were treated to the traditional finale featuring Chris Glen, Doogie White, Paul McManus and friends. The set features tributes to Bernie Torme, Ted McKenna and other fallen heroes with songs from Gillan & SAHB among others. Doogie had inaugurated the new Winter Storm bench earlier in the day with a version of the event anthem ‘The Temple of the King’ and that was reprised here too before a lone piper on the balcony signalled the end of the festival for another year. Tickets for next year go on sale on 6th December. Go on – you know you want to.

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OH MIRROR

WHERE ARE YOU

Standing alone Looking into her deep blue eyes She stares at the image before her She sighs... “Oh mirror, bring to me He who will stand beside me Where together... We share a love Looking Into each other’s eyes”

I walked out of my shadow Strolling, into one unseen In search of you, my love In fading moonlight, your name Etched in moss, I see... I tread in your footsteps Left in sand In search of you, my love Hearing the wilderness Calling me home Darkness, overwhelms me I know, who you are You are, my guided fantasy

Angela Graham ‘Ramblings of a Yorkshire Lass’

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2020 Already ‘Eternal’ With A New Installment in The Doom Video Game Series By Domenic Marinelli

(Image via Steam) Hello friends and readers! Been a long time since I’ve scribbled a few notes for all of you to read pertaining to the world of the video games we’re oh-so-obsessed with, but I’ve been busy on my end. Doing what? Well, apart from putting words to paper, as I do, I’ve been testing out some new games that are on the horizon for this already epic year of 2020. And when I tell you to be ready for an ultimate year in gaming, I mean it, as we’ve got some great games coming your way, so stay tuned. I’ll have some really cool news, updates and reviews in upcoming issues, so don’t you worry your collective game-obsessed brains on that note—we here at Steel Notes have got you covered, as always. And perhaps one of the most anticipated games of this year is one that was supposed to have actually been released in 2019, and one that has been highly anticipated. Of course, I’m talking about Doom Eternal, and if you’ve heard a harsh word against it, please ignore the comments, as the game is all it should be, the creators leaving no stone unturned. *

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(Image via True Achievements) It was in 1993 when gamers across the globe were given what would become one of the most groundbreaking video games the world would ever see. Of course to say that the original Doom by id Software, developed for DOS was groundbreaking, is an understatement in and of itself, but it still needs to be said, as young gamers have no way of feeling the impact that was once felt by gamers one and all when this gaming nugget of gold was originally released. The first person shooter game hit the proverbial mark on all levels, giving the then gamers everything they wanted in one game. By that era, many were tired of the same old, and Doom was right there to deliver everything that was missing from a gaming platform … violence, gore, and did we mention violence? Of course the game offered much more in terms of backstory and detail, and of course Doom 2: Hell On Earth, its successor, offered even more scope and detailed levels (including hidden levels, and what a gem those turned out to be). Doom 3 (2004) came along a little while after in a new era where gamers had kind of moved on from all the hype that the originals had spread and they had collectively moved on to some more astounding fare of the era and Doom 3 kind of fell away into a category that was rather disappointing all on its own. But still, even then Doom had its unwavering supporters. It was in 2016 (after an excruciatingly long time) that Doom got the revamp it deserved, despite many being weary of what the final outcome would be. It was powered by id Tech 6—a multiplatform game engine also developed by id Software. (In laymen’s terms, a ‘game engine’ is a type of software-development domain where people can build video games.) It got smashing reviews and was welcomed with open arms by pretty much everybody. Of course, when it comes to all forms of art, you can’t really impress everyone out there, so of course you’re bound to hear a few harsh critiques about this game, and we’re pretty sure these harsh critics are doing their best to put a twig in the spinning wheel that is this latest Doom game. I mean: Haters are gonna hate … right?

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But have no worry, as many are saying that if you loved the 2016 edition, then you will absolutely love Doom Eternal, which will be out on PS4, XboxOne and PC on March 20th of 2020 (a new release date set after quite the delay). (It will also be available on Nintendo Switch, and possibly other platforms, so do a wee bit of digging and get informed.)

(Image Via Larazon.es) For Doom Eternal (developed by id Tech 7), the player can expect new enemies, new locations and new weapons all in one fell swoop. The game sends off vibes from the past as well, even giving off shades of the very first Quake for you older gamers out there. This new campaign promises a lot and we should be ready for a total package of violence and mayhem and one heck of a story. And as reported by Quest Mode on YouTube in October of 2019, the multiplayer mode software was started from scratch, so if any glitches were found in previous installments, have no fear, as they’ve all been rectified for some pretty stable and tight play. Also noted by Quest Mode: the mechanics of the game “are amongst the best in the first person shooter genre.” The internet, being as it is, there is surely a lot of information regarding this highly anticipated game and of course there is a lot of information to weed through, as is often the case regarding any topic of interest, but you can rest assured, the game is definitely a ‘must buy’ for fans of the classic game and new players alike …so you’ll want to give this one a try. Actually, I’d amend that one: You will need to play this game, as you owe it to yourself as a true gamer to make it through this one. Completing a level and full game of Doom, and even going back to the first—especially with no cheat codes—is an accomplishment that any gamer, or human for that matter, can be proud of. Doom is almost like a rite of passage for any true gamer, and when completed, you can stand

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from whatever console of your choice, go to your window and breathe that all-important sigh of relief and yes even pride as you stare off to the horizon for whatever comes next. You might even dream the sequences in your sleep for many nights, or at least until the next game comes along. But this game will be with you for a while, I’m sure.

(Image Via PC Games N) So to all my fellow gamers, slayers and readers of Steel Notes Magazine, gear up and get ready for one hell of a ride, no pun intended … (okay, okay, all my puns are intended). I know I’ll be ready, as I’ve been waiting for this day for quite some time now. So as we load our guns in unison and breath that first breath before we embark on this journey, lets collectively say thank you to all responsible for bringing back this epic game … or perhaps “eternal” is a better word after all. Happy gaming, friends and readers. Until next time.

*Sources: Wikipedia.org, Quest Mode (YouTube), www.techradar.com

Domenic Marinelli Montréal, Québec January 5th, 2020.

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covers that once again showcase MORTON’s diversity as a musician.

Lamb of God Guitarist MARK MORTON to Release New Solo EP, “Ether,” in January by Alexxis Steele Special Guests Include Lzzy Hale (Halestorm), Howard Jones (Light the Torch), Mark Morales (Sons of Texas) and John Carbone (Moon Tooth) Lamb of God guitarist MARK MORTON returns in 2020 with his second solo offering, entitled Ether, a primarily acoustic five-song EP scheduled for release in January via Rise Records/BMG.

Says MARK MORTON, “I’m thrilled to announce the upcoming release of my new, five song EP, ‘Ether,’ on Rise Records! Once again, I’ve had the great pleasure of working with some amazingly talented artists and friends to assemble this collection of tunes, all of which feature a strong acoustic guitar component. Inspired by the acoustic sets I had the opportunity to perform last spring and summer in support of ‘Anesthetic,’ I began writing some new songs to reflect that more mellow vibe. I’m stoked with the results and I can’t wait for everyone to hear what we’ve been putting together. I’ll be debuting these tunes on my upcoming U.K. acoustic tour, so you can hear them live before they’re released anywhere else!” “I continue to be honored to have the chance to work with so many incredibly talented people and I remain beyond grateful to the fans that have come along with me and supported these projects. Thanks so much everyone!”

As with MORTON’s solo debut, Anesthetic, released earlier this year, the guitarist enlisted the talents of various musicians and vocalists to bring his songs to life. Ether features appearances by Lzzy Hale (Halestorm), Howard Jones (Killswitch Engage, Light the Torch), John Carbone (Moon Tooth) and Mark Morales (Sons of Texas), who is also a member of MORTON’s live band. The EP is made up of three original songs and two 108

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All Hail the Yeti Announces New Guitarist, New Management Deal + Enters Studio to Record New EP by Alexxis Steele Whiskey-soaked hardcore metal hybrid ALL HAIL THE YETI has entered the studio to begin work on a new EP. To tide fans over, the band has revealed a new lyric video for the track “Felo De Se,” from their last album, Highway Crosses. Watch the video today, exclusively via Alternative Press at www.altpress.com/ features/all-hail-the-yeti-felo-de-se. For the upcoming EP, ALL HAIL THE YETI is working with producer Steve Evetts (Sepultura, The Dillinger Escape Plan, Suicide Silence, DevilDriver) at the Omen Room in Orange County, CA. “Sometimes when things need a new fire you have to go to the source of the flame,” says vocalist Connor Garritty. “Steve is a genius and we could not be happier. Everything is sounding huge, and we have no doubt that this will be some of our best material yet. We are very anxious to unleash this beast on the world and we can’t wait for all our fans to be able to experience this life with us. HAIL!” With 2020 and the new EP, ALL HAIL THE YETI is entering a new chapter in their decade-long career. ALL HAIL THE YETI has welcomed new guitarist Dave Vanderlinde and is now under the guidance of The Oracle Management.

probably the most responsible for my music career starting in California so many years ago. Circle back two decades and now the team is right where it needs to be. He is driven, smart, no bullshit and that’s exactly what this band needs.” As the moniker cryptically suggests, the music of ALL HAIL THE YETI evokes a hair-raising mixture of superstitious ritual and trippy backwoods folklore. It’s all drenched in the countercultural, mindsmashing, gut-punching bile of likeminded spiritual shamans like Acid Bath and Eyehategod, with the down-tuned sludge of stoner rock, and an electric injection from fouron-the-floor classic rock pioneers. Heavy music adherents weaned on anything from Metallica and Pantera to metalcore, Southern groove, black metal or stoner grind will find a home among the ALL HAIL THE YETI faithful, as evidenced by stellar slabs Highway Crosses (2018), Screams from a Black Wilderness (2016), and their self-titled debut. ALL HAIL THE YETI is: Connor Garritty - vocals Nicholas Diltz - bass and vocals Ryan “Junior” Kittlitz - drums Dave Vanderlinde - guitar ALL HAIL THE YETI online: www.facebook.com/ officialallhailtheyeti https://twitter.com/allhailtheyeti

“Dave has an unbelievable talent,” Garritty says. “The writing process has been painless and some of the most fun we’ve had in a long time. His guitar playing is exactly what AHTY needed. Add that to his personality and hunger for success and you have the perfect combination. The Oracle’s Dez Fafara and I have been friends for a very long time. He is www.steelnotesmagazine.com

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December 8, 1980 FREAK OUT UNDER THE HIGH ISLAND BRIDGE as told by the smuggler Dona and edited by Nikki Palomino

The fog was thick, really thick, a perfect night. You couldn’t see the bridge from the warehouse. Everything was going as planned. We had finished the offload into the second truck. The Cuban drivers had control now. We were patting ourselves on the back when I got word the first truck was stuck under the bridge. I jumped into our old wench truck,a real jewel, and headed out to see what could be done. By the time I got to them, they had taken as much pot out of the stuck truck and packed it into the second truck to add weight so they could pull the stuck truck out. The plan didn’t go well. They burned the clutch out of the second truck. We now had two truck loads down, I hooked on to the second truck with the most pot and headed to the farm. The old wench truck wouldn’t do but about 45 miles with its

load. It seemed like hours, didn’t meet anyone on the way, headed straight toward Anahuac. I could see down the main drag when we finally turned. We got that truck to the farm and Effrin headed out in front of me to make sure it was clear for me to go get the other truck. I was a few minutes behind him. The fog had lifted and the night was clear. Not a vehicle in sight as I approached the bridge, as I passed the last chance to turn I saw the car. Just back from the intersection with lights off sat a 4 door unmarked car. As I passed, I saw someone remove their cowboy hat. Who wears a cowboy hat in a car except a cop? Head lights came on, and he pulled out behind me. I slowed down so he would have to pass or pull me over. He passed and I could see the hat on the passenger seat. I could smell the goose starting to cook. I was caught; the only option was to be cool, act like I belonged. I pulled off the highway headed under the bridge. Must have been 30 or more cops, all eyes on me, I pulled up and said, “Looks like ya’ll have a problem.” The closest officer said,” No boy, you have a problem. Climb out of that truck, hands on the fender.” I did exactly that. I was wearing a black pull over hooded raincoat, a t-shirt covered in crap off the bales and jeans. He frisked me real fast, but missed the only thing I had on me, a knife on the back of my belt. Thinking it was the right thing to do, I said, “Officer, I have a knife. Please take it.” That’s when it got REAL. You know that sound a pump shotgun makes when you chamber a round? He freaked. He screams, “He’s armed. He’s armed.” That’s when I heard that sound, it was like an orchestra of death. I don’t know how many but it was a crescendo I will never forget. All I could think was get small, get really really small, every muscle in my body was banjo-string tight. I figured that’s it for me, but lucky for me a Texas Ranger had just arrived, he was the one in the car. He stepped between me and all those guns. He asked where is the knife I told him. He took it and turned me around. I think every gun in the county was pointed at me. I exhaled said, “ I was going to be on the bottom of the canal with my friends if I didn’t tell them everything. I had several visits during the night. They all went the same way. They wanted to know the name of the crew boat. I got a laugh out of that. Around daylight the

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Ranger put me in his front seat. He got in the driver’s side, looked right at me and said “You know that we know that you know we know. Do you have anything to say?” I said,”No sir.” His reply was“ That’s what I expected,then we’re done.” and he drove me to jail. I didn’t see my life flash before my eyes, but I did think I was done. Not a good day for me but worse for John Lennon. They Isolated me in my own cell, got to ride the phone booth size elevator a couple times a day with a couple officers with sharp elbows until a lawyer showed up. He wanted to talk I wasn’t sure about him until he pulled out the cookie. They weren’t Nutterbutter but I felt better. They put me in with the boys that stay up all night. Thought well, this will be fun but the biggest guy there walked up and said, “I got ya, just remember me if you ever need help unloading another boat.”

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The Underground DIARIES by Nikki Palomino

ONE AMBER The last dream I remember… The only dream I have… The click of the latch, the bang of the door, not a knock, never a knock, just the damp darkness and footsteps hard and heavy, the breathing, like a struggle in quicksand; I remember not winning, not this time, not ever. The cold doesn’t help, not in the basement where I have a twin bed, chest of socks, underwear and T-shirts, a rope strung across the back next to the washer and dryer where my clothes hang. The basement holds my previous fears, the ones I can see even in the dark. I hear him turn the corner past stacked boxes. He won’t stop after he’s closed and locked the door. I know his routine, and he doesn’t care. A hundred times, the same hour when mom is working the late shift and I have nothing to kill the pain when he starts. If only he would die. If only he wouldn’t hold me down so tightly. If only I could slip my hand under the flat mattress and pull out the knife I have been too scared to steal from the kitchen. If only I could pretend I wanted him even though he is mom’s boyfriend. Then maybe I could slip on top, straddle his crotch and smother him with the extra pillow I keep at my back when sleeping. But I am incapacitated with fear. Too petrified to move, not after the deafening slam of the closing door, not after his heavy steps, his breaths rough, his determination having calculated how far he will go. Don’t touch me. Don’t touch me.

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Don’t touch me. I kick and scream in my head. I rip his lower lip from his face with my teeth. I never let his flesh coagulate. I bite the clot loose if it dares to form. I spit the blood back at him. He keeps humping through it all, groaning, and caressing my buds that will one day turn into breasts. When he finally finishes with a dying animal’s groan, his sweat soaking my blond bangs, he strokes my forehead. He mutters. “I got codeine, Baby Girl.” In a quick swoop, he sticks his stinky fingers into my mouth and pushes the pill to the back of my throat. “Swallow. Try and relax.” He keeps pushing. I gag, but I don’t choke. I wish I would choke, the pill lodging into my wind pipe until the breath of life extinguishes like the dying red ember of a cigarette hanging from a fat-lipped drunk. I wish he would crush me with his thick wet body still clothed, except his dick, now limp and protruding from his fly. This night, like all others in my dream, he passes out, his heart pounding as mine drags dead-like in the haze of aftermath. As he lays flaccid, I am a worm from the pill, wanting more pills as the thought grows more intense, wanting numbness, oblivion, death, wanting my mom to come home early with a headache. When she does, I want her to bang on the basement door where she keeps me because there isn’t enough room in the single family home with grandma sleeping on the couch in the living room and mom and her boyfriend occupying the only bedroom. Mom longs for rough arms and gin, and there’s always a man to deliver. Grandma suffers from senile dementia. She never leaves the couch. She pees in a diaper. I change her when mom is gone or just sick of life. I keep the Desitin on the coffee table and the diapers under the wicker magazine rack. I leave the TV on 24/7 so she has company. Talk shows, cop shows, cartoons and old movies. This is the only dream I’ve had since I was twelve. I don’t want to call the dream a nightmare because then he’d win. But that’s what the flickering film of memories is, a nightmare of the dungeon.

I jolt awake, slumped on the subway seat. I’m shivering. Has to be twenty degrees except the calves of my legs are scalding from the heater below the seat. I jackknife my legs, warm my thighs. The lights are flickering. Only one other person in the car, and he’s staring through one eye; the other eye is fucked-up. He’s shivering as well but has a bottle in a bag he keeps swigging. No teeth, no hair, just one lone eye with a crazy yellow iris, and I’m thinking fish, and how I’d like something to eat but have no money left. I’d scored with what I panhandled. Didn’t feel like earning cash any other way tonight. I’m not in a pack at this time. But I’m nearly seventeen years old and I need to find someone who can watch my back if there is such a person because I know if I don’t some guerilla pimp’s going to eat me for lunch. I’ve just been on a lucky streak. That’s when the subway train pulls to a stop. No one out at three in the morning. Fish eye heads out the open doors as someone else jumps in. I glance up; don’t know who or what I’m looking at. Young, blonde like me, blue eyes, heavy clumped mascara, and smeared red lipstick. The face belongs to a boy, I’m certain with a bruised left cheek, hoop earrings and a long wool coat. I glance down at his spiked heels. He won’t make it alone and neither will I if we don’t bond in the next five minutes. I have a place to crash tomorrow night, dope and a heart. Corey I learn wants to change genders. I know nothing about that but I’m willing to learn. He sits across from me, the worn wool slipping off his fishnet stocking legs with black tights underneath them. He is wearing short-shorts and an ace bandage covering his right knee. He shivers leans over to let the wool warm him. He sighs or should I say she? Sometimes it’s hard to tell. She leans back, pulls a pack of cigarettes from her hobo bag. She offers me a Benson and Hedges. I grab the cigarette quickly. That’s just a reaction I picked off the streets. “Light?” “Sure.” She pulls out her box of matches, strikes. We light up. “I’m Amber,” I say because I know she needs to know. “Corey.” She takes a drag. “I’m not a trannie.”

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“Ok.” “I’m really female…just not completely.” I finish for her. “Corey, it’s fine. Look at me? Who am I to judge?” Corey laughs quickly, turns the bruised cheek toward me. “Someone thinks he has the right.” “Someone always does.” Corey has a room supplied by a queer older man who just wants to watch. “Us?” I ask. “I think he might like a change in venue.” We both laugh almost to the point of tears, but Corey makes it clear the man is not like the rest of the world. Warhol leather and sunglasses until he finally realized how much emotional energy he was wasting trying to be special. He never liked hippies and free love. He says the West Coast is homophobic. Manhattan isn’t. That’s why I’m here.” Corey pauses, looking blankly at his cigarette. “He makes me read Jean Genet.” I’d found the beginning of my pack. I could survive NYC, the super rats, the punk rockers’ heroin, the disco cocaine, the pushy cops and trash. I could outrun a sick-o on 42nd, alone. In a group, I wouldn’t get bugged. But first we have a gig where the older man serves us two mugs of hot chocolate, a joint and several large pillows in front of the gas fireplace. Heaven is different on the streets. It’s any comfort you can cop. I don’t want to die. Do you? TWO COREY I knew right away she’s someone who can understand who I really am. I know I’m weird. My parents dumped me on mom’s great aunts. But they loved me as best they could. My aunts own a farm in Louisiana. They raise chickens for eggs, cats to keep the mouse population down. They like sweet tea through straws and turnips raw. They didn’t understand me; they couldn’t. They tried, but their souls had remained in 1952.

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Dee Dee and Cleo wore checked aprons that matched the dishtowels, and they shared washing (said beautifully with the roll of an r, w-a-r-s-h) and hanging up the laundry on a line strung across the St. Augustine grass. They’d let me help. I didn’t mind. Fact was chores were the best way I had to pretend to be myself, a girl in a boy’s body. They never made me do manly things like mow the yard or split firewood. That had belonged to Dee Dee whose arms matched any sailor’s. I’ve always known what I was, just not why. I didn’t talk to my aunts about anything personal. I don’t think they would have minded. They had let me play with their old dolls. I kept the dolls, especially the Patty Doll, clean and dressed. They let me play house and dressed me like a little girl. It was all pretend to them. My real name Curtis they changed to Corey. They thought I looked like a Corey with blue eyes and baby-butt pale skin and long fine silky blond hair. “Like a puppy,” Cleo would say and giggle to the point of tears. She was a little more senile than Dee Dee. They had even let me keep a dog, Spiddle, just a mutt, but I loved her, still love her. She would burrow beneath the covers until she lay flat against my back. Spiddle liked the perfume I chose from Cleo’s dresser. She liked my apron because she knew I was in charge of the cooking, and I always snuck her human food and a small bowl of milk. No one knew just how old Spiddle was, not even the horse vet. Once I’d come home from a bad day at school, the jocks crazed from raging hormones and ridding their excess testosterone by bullying me, nothing any different from a normal school day really, and found Spiddle curled in a ball on the bedroom floor. Dee Dee and Cleo called the horse vet, but by the time he had arrived, Spiddle lay dead. He couldn’t figure out what had happened. I knew he was lying. Told me Spiddle was likely one-hundred and seventeen in dog years. Dee Dee had confessed Spiddle liked raw turnips. Poison weren’t they? I never knew for sure, but when I turned fifteen and after a lot of interference from child protective services, I figured I’d outlived my stay. As far as the state of Louisiana was concerned, I needed a proper environment to cure my affliction. They’d pegged me a queer, in so much as “I dressed female”, but they were off. So I split. “You ok?” I whisper for I hear a whoosh of breath. Amber is beautiful. We could be sisters, our coloring uncanny in the similarity. That’s why I stare at her sleeping on the pillows in front of the gas fireplace at Josh’s. Josh doesn’t make me do anything. All he does is say he’ll make a beautiful breakfast and place fresh towels and soap in the front bathroom of his loft before he leaves for work. “Make yourself at home,” he’d said. “Too cold to be on the streets. Use the washing machine if you want. My place is yours.” He is always sweet.

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Josh is in love with me, a chick with a dick. Amber doesn’t budge. I don’t think she’s had a good night’s sleep in a while. I know she’s dreaming. She keeps tossing and groaning. Maybe, she’s having a nightmare. She can’t hear me or doesn’t want to or can’t come back to now. She’s lost in the blackness where each shock of pain resounds like the sound of a sea in a shell. I’ve needed someone like Amber all of my life. I look at her, now still, alone in her silence. I become conscious of her breathing in and out the tortured soul I have only begun to know. I eventually fall asleep. I roll onto my stomach, right arm sliding around her as if I know together things will be different. They have to be. Tomorrow can’t be like today when earlier those jerks knocked me to the ground. After they pulled down my short-shorts and saw what I so wanted sliced off, the one hit me in the left eye. The swift punch didn’t hurt. I won’t let what’s on the surface sink below where I am ME. I AM ME. GOD MADE ME THIS WAY, just like the sun makes light and warmth. And you wouldn’t want to obliterate the sun, now would you?

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Snowflakes by Sir Dada

Sitting with my coffee on New Year’s day - looking out the back window into the woods. Snow is falling, just a small teasing drop of snowflakes - nothing sticking. Made me think of the word snowflake. It’s strange that the term snowflake is used disparagingly. Snowflakes are individuals - no two the same (despite scientific attempts to prove otherwise). Snowflakes are beautiful balanced bursts of art from God. Their patterns are like the synapse connections of a functioning brain. Snowflakes are independent thinkers. The opposites of snowflake would be copycats, duplicates, lock-step marchers who suck up sound bytes and spew them in unison. I think it should be a compliment to be called a snowflake. Jim Wright added: “And snowflakes work with the next to form a binding body of, at times, incredible mass. That when foolishly disrupted or disturbed creates an avalanche of fury that swallows and destroys everything in its path.” 122

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PUNK ROCK BI-LINGUAL POETRY BY YVONNE POETA NYC

BORDER These fake walls of self-loathing and hostility Do not separate your beginning and my end I feel your ache and hunger and all the bruises in your heart I hear the harsh words Yelled at you in foreign tongue My dearest I am holding you Up away from all this political dust Swirling with hatred, misnomers, and labels That do not apply in most encounters I am beside myself and near you Protecting you with prayer, blessing, and love Keeping faith in something greater Than rivalries, greater than society Greater than the melting Antarctic icebergs Greater than the overflowing seas Cutting disrespectfully through previous soil Greater than the current egos and future promises All their words and physical manic gestures Forgotten and lost in that very swirl of dust I am here—on the other side—longing for you Wanting to be your comfort –I love you to pieces And will put you back together from what they have done My love, my everything, my child. www.steelnotesmagazine.com

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FRONTERA Estas paredes falsas de autoestima y hostilidad No separa tu principio y mi final. Siento tu dolor y hambre y todos los moretones en tu corazón Escucho las palabras fuertes Te gritan en lengua extranjera Mi querida te estoy sosteniendo Alejado de todo este polvo político. Remolino con odio, nombres inapropiados y etiquetas Esto no aplica en la mayoría de los encuentros. Estoy en el aire y cerca de ti Protegiéndote con oración, bendición y amor. Manteniendo la fe en algo más grande. De las rivalidades, más grandes de la sociedad. Más que los glacieres antárticos que se derriten Más grande que los mares desbordados. Que cortan irrespetuosamente a través del suelo anterior. Más grande que los egos actuales y las promesas futuras. Todas sus palabras y gestos maníacos físicos. Olvidado y perdido en ese mismo remolino de polvo. Estoy aquí, al otro lado, anhelando por ti. Queriendo ser tu comodidad - Te amo a pedazos Y te volvere a armar de lo que tenhan hecho. Mi amor, mi todo, mi hijo.

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MY UNHOLY PRAYER I lay in the church of confusion I pray to the faceless ones Cloaked in their spiraled darkness They say they know They say they’ll lead They want you to follow They want your love and devotion They want your soul and truth They want all of who you are But give you empty rhetoric Swallow you whole And turn away when you cry Turn away when you need Shout and scream for love Me acosté en la iglesia de la confusión They are ghosts Rezo a los sin rostro And you are left haunted Camuflado en su oscuridad en espiral What did you do Dicen que saben What happened to all the potential Dicen que liderarán The sweet words of hope Quieren que sigas Paint the walls and windows with hallowed BS Quieren tu amor y devoción Crown me the savior of myself Quieren tu alma y tu verdad I will resurrect and will return to me Quieren todo lo que eres I don’t need your pitiful words Pero te dan una retórica vacía That have lost the magic I gave them Te tragan enterito You are dust and dust you shall be Y se aléjan cuando lloras As I burn the very thought of you Y se alejan cuando los necesitas My thorns keep me real and safe Gritas y ladras por amor A self-made cage of suspicion Y son fantasmas I am re-born from fear and love and rejection Y te quedas embrujado Qué hiciste ¿Qué pasó con todo el potencial Las dulces palabras de esperanza Pinta las paredes y ventanas con basura maltén Coroname salvadora de mí misma Resucitaré y volveré a mí No necesito tus palabras lamentables Que han perdido la magia que les di Eres polvo y polvo serás Mientras quemo el pensamiento de ti Mis espinas me mantienen real y a salva Una jaula de sospecha hecho por mi misma He renacido del miedo, el amor y el rechazo

MI REZO IMPIO

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GARY PREIS PHOTOGRAPHS THE NJ BALLOON FESTIVAL

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