They say that the cat has nine lives and such would be the same for this blog series even though I have a couple of more chapters to present to you fine readers. We’ve gotten some great stuff from the musicians and creative entities who were kind enough to participate in the series. So without any further adieu “Welcome to Chapter 9 of our New Year’s Music Resolutions for 2013″.

1. Ronny Munroe (Metal Church): My New Year’s Resolution: To continue to grow musically and mentally, and to put out the best music of my career,wether it be with Metal Church or my own music. That’s it

2. The Last Vegas: The Last Vegas’ New Year’s Resolution for 2013 is to go organic. Not in a dietary sense mind you, but artistically going back to the raw, the real, the look into your soul to see what is in there and what you can pull out that truly sticks to your and your listeners’ bones. In today’s modern musical climate, the competition for listeners’ attention is fierce, fast and fleeting. Plug in straight, bypass the bullsh*t meter, and get the direct-connect. Any yahoo can have great hair…

3. J.R. Gurrieri (Slam One Down): To Get on the biggest tour that we can and support some great Heavy Metal Bands and to write and record a better record than the one we just put out.
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2012 finds the band Kittie celebrating sixteen years of Metal existence in terms of touring, music and just making an impact on the lives of their ardent fans and tonight their tour would hit New York City. The package would also feature Blackguard, The Agonist and Bonded By Blood and would continue to support the girls latest release “I’ve Failed You”, their sixth full-length album. Having enjoyed Kittie in concert over the last few years of running this PiercingMetal site, I opted to check them out as opposed to seeing Destruction or Steel Panther who both had gigs in very close proximity. To see how the show went down just click the bands logo below, but then come back to the blog to enjoy some of the side images that I am only presenting in the blog posting.

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Welcome back, I’m so glad you could join us. You might remember how I recently posted a little more than a handful of New Year’s Metal Resolutions for 2012 by some truly great musical personality. Well, please enjoy the continuation of this enlightening and fun group of insights as we ask the Metal Community great to finish the sentence “My New Year’s Metal Resolution for 2012 Is……”

Alex Skolnick (lead guitarist for Testament/Trans-Siberian Orchestra/Alex Skolnick Trio): My New Year’s Musical Resolution is to sift through the endless musical ideas I’ve recorded as voice memos or on MP3′s or cassette in the last few years and develop some of them into real songs.

Lance King (lead vocals for Avian, Pyramaze, more): My New Years Metal Resolution is “To incite the Metal Masses, awaken them from their apathy, to get their collective asses in gear to support the scene wherever they live in any way they can. To help spread the word and to go out to see the touring bands, help them make ends meet by paying the ticket price, having a head banging great time and buying a shirt, music or both!!! Seriously, the scene in all countries needs a huge shot in the arm. People need to take up the support roles of the fallen in promoting shows, championing artists with PR, sponsorships, media coverage, video skills, radio, new marketing ideas, alternate sources of revenue so bands are able to get out and do what they love to do best, share the music with the fans live. There simply is nothing in tech and home media that can reproduced a live metal concert’s experience when done well.

Sammy Avigal (vocals for Avigal): My new year’s Metal resolution is to continue living the Metal dream, enjoy what I love, and do best, and hopefully influence the next generation of Metal heads, as I was influenced as a young Metal head myself by the Metal elders of my generation.
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Blackguard might formerly be known as Profugis Mortis but their Metal message remains stronger than ever and this band is an up and coming rising star that should not be missed in concert should you get the chance to enjoy them. PiercingMetal recently sat down with the bands singer Paul Ablaze and had a casual chat about the bands origins, hopes and life on the road as a band in their position. Check out the full discussion by clicking the link below.

PiercingMetal.com has photographed the band in action a number of times and we look forward to many more shows with them on the bill. Check out our existing galleries for the band by clicking HERE.

“Design Your Universe” was the mantra being spoken by Dutch Symphonic purveyors Epica and this new album was being supported with a rousing tour and making a stop in good ole’ New York City.  I must admit that I was excited about this one because we would find them receiving support from label mates Threat Signal and also fast rising up and comers Blackguard.  Our area show would find local support coming from both Cypher Seer and Phoenix Reign, and we really wanted to catch everyone doing their thing tonight.  The show would be held at the Gramercy Theatre and be a total sell out which was amazing to find being the case especially with some recent shows being dismal in their attendance.  To learn more about the show and to see photos of every band that performed just click the link below to be taken to the full article on the main PiercingMetal.com site.

The dramatic backdrop of the Epica stage.  This is the cover of their brand new album “Design Your Universe”.

Epica's Backdrop for "Design Your Universe" Tour

Ensiferum were on their next Heathen Crusade with the “Tour From Afar” and the show was bound to be exciting since it featured both ExDeo and Blackguard as opening bands.  The tour was originally supposed to feature Hypocrisy, but they could not work the Visa issues out and would drop off.  The show was also scheduled for The Fillmore NY (or Irving Plaza depending on who you talk about it with) and it would move only days before taking place over to the Gramercy Theatre and follow the Winds Of Plague show that was happening that same day.  Whew.  Despite the late hour of this fun we were on point for the Metal high command and you can learn all about it by clicking the logo below as it will bring you to the article on the main PiercingMetal.com site.

Terry from Blackguard

While taking photos of Ensiferum I caught sight of Terry who plays rhythm guitar in Blackguard.  Here we see him tossing the horns while enjoying some Viking Metal and a cold giant can of Budweiser beer.

“Summer Slaughter” was back and hitting NYC once again like a proverbial ton of bricks and this time around they would split the massive tour into two separate shows to allow fans to either go to both nights or choose between the bands that they preferred more.  We opted for the first of the shows because it would feature Suffocation and a couple of other groups that we liked.  To be sure to present the whole night’s scope in the best manner we got to the venue early enough to catch all the performers.  To learn and see more just click the logo below to be brought to our article on the main PiercingMetal.com site.

Metal fans that have an interest in our views and photos from the previous year’s Summer Slaughter tour can relive the event by clicking HERE.  As expected we were sure to offer up commentary on every band and snapped photos of all of the performers as well – all ten bands.  That was a long, long night.

Before we close up, we wanted to share another graphic with you and that is for the tour program that the kind folks of Decibel Magazine had left around for us to enjoy.

Decibel Tour Program: Summer Slaughter 2009

It was mostly advertisements for the various labels and enterprises that were sponsoring the tour and that was to be expected.  However, there was also a little something about every band that performed on this tour and we also got photos of them.  That’s not a bad deal for free is it.

“Paganfest USA – 2″ was the working title of this event and like its predecessor from 2008 was sure to be a rousing good time for the fans of Pagan & Folk Metal. The 2008 tour found Ensiferum, Turisas, Eluveitie and Tyr all on the same stage and this one would up the game just a little bit by adding one more band to the running order. Hitting us hard with interesting melodies would be Korpiklaani, Primordial, Moonsorrow, Blackguard and Swashbuckle. We made sure to report on everyone who performed and our comments and photos can be enjoyed by clicking the logo below as it will take you to the article on the main PiercingMetal.com site.

You can enjoy our thoughts and images from the first go round of “Pagan Fest” by clicking HERE.
To see coverage about the “Pagan Knights” tour that took place earlier in the year click HERE