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Features, Interviews

New Year’s Music Resolutions For 2013: Part 10

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Whew. How are you all doing? Are you still with me as we press on towards the final stages of our “New Year’s Music Resolutions for 2013”? Man I sure hope so because this has been a ride like no other and I am loving getting the plans of the Metal and Rock greats out to your computer or mobile device screens. Here we go with Chapter Ten. Enjoy.

1. Jason Lekberg (Ikillya): My resolution for 2013 is to make the best album of my career thus far and hopefully share it with as many people as possible. 🙂

2. Michael Scondotto (The Last Stand/Inhuman): My New Year’s Music Resolution is to play as many shows as possible with The Last Stand, as our debut full length “The Time Is Now” comes out on January 22nd on Eulogy Recordings. Aside from that, look for another Inhuman vinyl edition and maybe my Metal project will surface sometime in 2013???

3. Alberto Rigoni (Solo Artist): Hey world, wanna still hear some good quality music in the future? Please support the bands and artists purchasing their music, digital or CD.. otherwise they will disappear!
Continue reading New Year’s Music Resolutions For 2013: Part 10 →

Events, Reviews

Five Finger Death Punch @ Fillmore at Irving Plaza (10/23/2008)

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“The Way Of The Fist” is an exciting Metal album from an equally exciting band called Five Finger Death Punch. The band has seen their own popularity rise over the last few months and was now bringing an energetic show to the Big Apple with special guest openers In This Moment and Bury Your Dead. We were on point to report on the performance and made sure to shoot a lot of photos for those fans of the live scene. To learn more about this gig just scroll past the logo below to see our narrative.

Logo - Five Finger Death Punch

Artist: Five Finger Death Punch
Venue: Fillmore NY (New York, NY)
Opener: In This Moment, Bury Your Dead
Date: 10/23/2008
Label: Firm Music

Five Finger Death Punch has been taking no prisoners with their debut CD “The Way Of The Fist’ since it was released and that is never a bad thing to find happening for a new band. The CD is an aggressive Heavy Metal recording with lots of great guitars, thundering drum patterns and easy to get into choruses. They were moving steadily along with the album but their appearance on the Family Values tour of 2007 with Korn, Evanescence, Trivium, Hellyeah and Flyleaf seemed to seal the deal in their rising popularity. Having missed that particular tour I was happy to be able to be a part of the action that was going on in NYC this evening. My night had already started out well since it was CMJ week and I had attended a gathering of the areas industry folks and was treated to some new live Metal and Hard Rock from both Autumn Black and Ionia. Of course, that is an entirely different report on the site, so look for that should you want the scoop about that part of the day. Now it was over to the Fillmore NY to see this high energy band that had wisely brought along those other rising stars of In This Moment along with them. The lead off band would be Bury Your Dead and here is how the night progressed.
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Music, Reviews

“The Way Of The Fist” (Special Edition) by Five Finger Death Punch

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Artist: Five Finger Death Punch
Title: “The Way Of The Fist”
Label: Firm Music
Release Date: 7/31/2007
Genre: Heavy Metal
Rating: 4/5

I loved what I heard on the debut by Five Finger Death Punch and stated my views on the release “The Way Of The Fist” when it first hit the streets so I must admit to a little confusion when I learned that the band would be re-releasing the record with a few bonus tracks. Given I made my position clear on the initial recording I have copied my thoughts below for a reminder and then after them have added comments related to the bonus tracks.

“When a band is going by a name as intense as Five Finger Death Punch you have to hope that they are going to be a no-nonsense approach to Heavy Metal music and not some run of the mill, derivative, been there, done that sort of group. Luckily, everyone who decides to take their chances on FFDP is in for a very rocking surprise. The band takes its name from the killing blow delivered by The Bride in Quentin Tarantino’s “Kill Bill 2”, and don’t ask me why but the move very simply works as a band name as well. Fronted by singer Ivan Moody, the vocals at times sound a little like Tool’s Maynard, as he blends an atmospheric melodic vocal with guttural growling and takes the songs in multiple directions as a result. The powerhouse quintet was assembled by Euro-Metal veteran Zoltan Bathory, their guitarist, who presents a no-nonsense approach to the music that is able to be enjoyed by a wider demographic of Metal fans. If you like thundering double bass drums, its here, if you like tuned down guitar shredding, its here, if you want heavy, its here and memorable choruses, well I believe you get the point. The action packed listen is only ten-songs long but there isn’t a bad tune on the disk and it starts you off with “Ashes”, a tune that after a shouting count of some kind determines to kick your ass from here to next Sunday. “The Way Of The Fist” seems to set the bands premise of defiance and standing up for oneself in the face of trouble. It has a really angry verse part and the overall melody is destined to inspire either a circle pit or some really intense fist throwing. Joining Bathory and Moody in the group are Jeremy Spencer (drums), Matt Snell (bass), and Darrell Roberts (guitars). Roberts comes from one of the many incarnations of W.A.S.P. while Snell was the bassist for Anubis Rising. Spencer is the creator of “Drums From Hell: The Extreme Metal Loops” CD, and based on the playing this guy does on the album you can tell that he really knows his stuff.
Continue reading “The Way Of The Fist” (Special Edition) by Five Finger Death Punch →

Music, Reviews

“The Way Of The Fist” by Five Finger Death Punch

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Artist: Five Finger Death Punch
Title: “The Way Of The Fist”
Label: Firm Music
Release Date: 7/31/2007
Genre: Heavy Metal
Rating: 4/5

When a band is going by a name as intense as Five Finger Death Punch you have to hope that they are going to be a no-nonsense approach to Heavy Metal music and not some run of the mill, derivative, been there, done that sort of group. Luckily, everyone who decides to take their chances on FFDP is in for a very rocking surprise. The band takes its name from the killing blow delivered by The Bride in Quentin Tarantino’s “Kill Bill 2”, and don’t ask me why but the move very simply works as a band name as well. Fronted by singer Ivan Moody, the vocals at times sound a little like Tool’s Maynard, as he blends an atmospheric melodic vocal with guttural growling and takes the songs in multiple directions as a result. The powerhouse quintet was assembled by Euro-Metal veteran Zoltan Bathory, their guitarist, who presents a no-nonsense approach to the music that is able to be enjoyed by a wider demographic of Metal fans. If you like thundering double bass drums, its here, if you like tuned down guitar shredding, its here, if you want heavy, its here and memorable choruses, well I believe you get the point. The action packed listen is only ten-songs long but there isn’t a bad tune on the disk and it starts you off with “Ashes”, a tune that after a shouting count of some kind determines to kick your ass from here to next Sunday. “The Way Of The Fist” seems to set the bands premise of defiance and standing up for oneself in the face of trouble. It has a really angry verse part and the overall melody is destined to inspire either a circle pit or some really intense fist throwing.
Continue reading “The Way Of The Fist” by Five Finger Death Punch →

Events, Reviews

W.A.S.P. @ Starland Ballroom (7/15/2005)

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Logo - WASP

Artist: W.A.S.P.
Venue: Starland Ballroom (Sayreville, NJ)
Opener: L.A. Guns, Stephen Pearcy, Metal Church
Label: Sanctuary Records
Date: 7/15/2005
Genre: Heavy Metal

The event was called “The American Metal Blast” tour and this pretty much on target for it was that and so much more. I was fortunate to be able to review this show not only as a Metal Journalist but also as a fan of all of these bands. W.A.S.P. in particular has held a high ranking in my list of favorite bands to see live and when you add three other quality groups to the bill – you know the show was going to be great all around. The setting would be The Starland Ballroom, where most recently I attended the Sounds Of The Underground show and the Anthrax reunion. While I am already a fan of this place I have to say that this is a great venue to see a group like W.A.S.P. It is roomy enough to cater to their visual nature and you are able to follow the action from any vantage point in the club. For me that is an incredible plus.
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