Tag Archives: mike lepond

Features, PiercingMetal Says

Happy Halloween 2017: Rockers Divulge Their Favorite Horror Films

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It’s Halloween and with this post I am giving you a treat that will not promote tooth decay nor lead you to issues with your waistline. In the spirit of my inquiries that featured “Music Resolutions”; I’ve polled a number of Metal and Rock musicians in my world and asked them “What is your favorite Horror movie and why”. So get some popcorn, dim the lights and sit under a cozy blanket as we learn of some awesome talents favorite creepy film. It’s a lengthy list but splitting this one into parts didn’t make sense. Let’s go.

Chris Caffery (Savatage/Trans-Siberian Orchestra): “Halloween”. Because it was the only movie that not only scared me in the theaters it scared me afterwards in real life. In my opinion it’s the best horror film ever made. In the sense of true horror. A real killer. There was no superhuman bs in the first one. Just pure evil.

Gogo Melone (Aeonian Sorrow): From old films was “Dracula”… I really like the atmosphere and as a kid I was a big fan of vampires. The movie that scared my ass off the most and had nightmares for days with, were “The Ring” and “The Exorcism of Emily Rose”…I don’t think I’ll ever see them twice again ??

Jimmy Kunes (Cactus): God there’s so many. “Fearless Vampire Killers”, I know it’s a spoof. But what a film!!!

Elise Ryd (Amaranthe): “The Shining”. Those two kids are the most scary thing I’ve seen. And I don’t like that dude Johnny towards the end. “Here’s Johnny” ? And this is true.. Every time I’m in a hotel with long corridors I expect those kids to show up in the end of the hallway. Haha, that image is haunting me, STILL! It’s Enshrined in my memory.

Archie Kuosmanen (Santa Cruz): Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining because it’s the undisputed heavyweight champion of horror flicks!
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Features, Tours and Festivals

Symphony X Brings “Underworld” Fall Tour To North America

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The cool touring announcements are showing no signs of stopping but that’s alright by me since this one is focused on the great Symphony X who are hitting our area for a select batch of dates. Check out the poster, press release, dates and then I’ll return with some thoughts.

Tour - Symphony X - Fall 2016

The Press Release:
SYMPHONY X RELEASE DETAILS ABOUT THE ONLY U.S./CANADIAN SHOWS OF 2016!

New Jersey’s progressive metal masters, SYMPHONY X, are making a few special stops on their way to Japan’s Loud Park Festival. The 6 show trek will launch on September 29th at The Trocadero, hit 3 Canadian cities and conclude on October 5th at The Gramercy Theatre.

SYMPHONY X commented, “We are looking forward to playing these special intimate shows which will be our last shows for Underworld in the USA and Canada for 2016 and very excited to see our friends and fans on the road.”

The band will be touring in support of their highly acclaimed ninth album, Underworld, which debuted at #36 on the US Current Chart, #6 on the Top Hard Rock, and #89 on the Billboard 200, #89). As well #103 on Canada’s national chat and #14 on the hard chart. Underworld, was crafted at Michael Romeo’s tricked out studio, The Dungeon.
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Features, In Memoriam

Paying Respects At David Bowie’s NYC Residence

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Photo - David Bowie

The news about the passing of the great David Bowie was still stinging my musical mind pretty hard after first hearing about it this past Monday and while I had already reflected on this sad news in THIS POST, I felt compelled to pass by his NYC residence to pay respects and to photograph some of the visuals that had been left by other fans. David and Iman lived downtown not far from China Town in this building you see here.

david bowie memorials, david bowie tributes

It was relatively early in the day and not yet lunch hour so the crowd while gathering was not impossible to navigate with. The way it was set up in front of Bowie’s apartment was protected by a police gate and fans were allowed to walk through to look at things and leave mementos to honor the memory of this iconic musical force. The photos below are what I saw laid out in honor for David by his ardent fans and as you can see there are incredible photos, albums and compact discs along with beautiful notes and quotes. I’ve also added in some thoughts from music people that I know from my own journalistic adventuring to make this nod of respect more special.

david bowie memorials, david bowie tributes
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Features, Interviews

Music Luminaries Share Their New Year’s Metal Resolutions for 2012: Part 2

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new year's music resolutions

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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Events, Reviews

Finntroll @ Gramercy Theatre (4/8/2010)

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Logo - Finntroll

Artist: Finntroll
Venue: Gramercy Theatre (New York, NY)
Opener: Moonsorrow, Swallow The Sun, Operatika
Date: 4/8/2010
Label: Century Media Records

Now that April was officially off and running, one had to agree that it was doing its best to keep in the pace that was kicked off by March Metal Madness. We began our own Metal adventures earlier this week with Finnish powerhouse Sonata Arctica who stopped by NYC with both Mutiny Within and Powerglove in tow and now it was time for the aptly labeled “Finnish Metal Tour”. This show would bring us Finntroll, Moonsorrow, Swallow The Sun and Operatika and while I know that you scratch your head at the mention of the New Jersey Power Metallers, there is a reason for their appearance on this area’s show. Apparently the band Survivor’s Zero had dropped off the tour before it ever hit the USA and as result an area band would fill in the gap that they left. For me this was a pleasant surprise because they also have some good stuff. Here is how the night went down should you have missed out for any reason.
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