When I announced the performer lineup for the 2019 “ShipRocked” Cruise (seen HERE), a lot of Metalheads were wondering just what in the heck was going on with the announcement for the 2019 “70K Tons Of Metal” excursion since that usually came up in July. Well, as the saying goes “it’s better late than never” as the first details and bands have been lined out. Read on down below.
The Announcement:
60 Bands, 4 Days, 1 Cruise Ship, and only 3000 Tickets. This is 70000TONS OF METAL™, The Original, The World’s Biggest Heavy Metal Cruise!
On 70000TONS OF METAL™ you get unrestricted festival access to all 120 live shows on board, 70000TONS™ OF KARAOKE until sunrise, Jamming With Waters In International Waters – the Official 70000TONS OF METAL™ All Star Jam which writes Heavy Metal History every year, Clinics and Work-Shops with the musicians, our infamous Belly Flop Contest, Shore Excursions with your favorite artists, and much more! Continue reading 70,000Tons Of Metal Announces First Bands For 2019 Excursion→
Artist: Symphony X Title: “Paradise Lost” (Deluxe Edition) Label: InsideOut Music Release Date: 11/4/2008 Genre: Power Metal Rating: 4.5/5
The overwhelmingly positive response that Symphony X’s “Paradise Lost” had generated almost necessitated that a Deluxe Edition be released for it with the only question remaining in the minds of the bands fans would be when. Fast forward a year and a couple of months after it pummeled their fan base and we find such an edition hitting the shelves and this one not only features the original CD that we have long been enjoying but a DVD that presents a 5.1 mix of the album, as well as their videos that were used to promote the release. Since we had already presented our thoughts about the initial release of this album rather comprehensively, we are re-presenting that text for you to be reminded about how we felt. New information about the Deluxe Edition will follow that text.
It has always been said that good things come to those who wait and clearly from the moment that Symphony X fans around the world began spinning the bands latest opus “Paradise Lost”, that the five plus years time in between albums from the group had not been in vain for them to wait thru. As a Progressive Metal album this is both a stunning display of top notch musicality and also a relentless offering up of melody and crunching groove. The adventure into the new release begins with a thunderous intro by way of “Oculus Ex Inferni” and this instrumental opener leads you to the rousing “Set The World On Fire”. It is with this track that I felt we were finding the band at their technical best as guitarist Michael Romeo delivers riffs that can only be defined as super human again and again. I was impressed right from the beginning with this one and while I had not expected the band to disappoint the listener, I was quite awed at just how much they chose to up their personal game at the craft with the new album. Lead vocalist Russell Allen really showcases a powerful set of pipes very early on and while he is not one of those soaring eight octave types, he really is one of my favorite Metal singers based on the purity of his voice. There are times on the album where he reminds me a little of Ronnie James Dio of course, but that is never a bad thing when you are in a Metal band. “Domination” continues the journey and while it begins with some fast paced fury, it switches up the tempo when the vocals come in just a little bit for diversity. The chorus finds the speed picked up again and the guys keeps swapping back on forth to keep the listener engaged while the tune progresses. I’ll skip around a little and speak about what comes off as the bands ballad for the release which we find on “Paradise Lost”. It’s not a true ballad per se, but the feel is smooth and the vocals from Allen softer than we have ever found him to my knowledge. The pace picks up a little midway and when it gets to the chorus you can almost envision the audience lighting up their lighters or using their cell phone displays to bring the moment a little more in the visual sense. In any case we are only half of the way in and we can easily find out just how well crafted the release is and how hard Mike Romeo worked on the compositions we received on this one. Continue reading “Paradise Lost” (Deluxe Edition) by Symphony X→
Artist: Symphony X Title: “Paradise Lost” Label: InsideOut Music Release Date: 6/26/2007 Genre: Progressive Power Metal Rating: 4/5
It has always been said that good things come to those who wait and clearly from the moment that Symphony X fans around the world began spinning the bands latest opus “Paradise Lost”, that the five plus years time in between albums from the group had not been in vain for them to wait thru. As a Progressive Metal album this is both a stunning display of top notch musicality and also a relentless offering up of melody and crunching groove. The adventure into the new release begins with a thunderous intro by way of “Oculus Ex Inferni” and this instrumental opener leads you to the rousing “Set The World On Fire”. It is with this track that I felt we were finding the band at their technical best as guitarist Michael Romeo delivers riffs that can only be defined as super human again and again. I was impressed right from the beginning with this one and while I had not expected the band to disappoint the listener, I was quite awed at just how much they chose to up their personal game at the craft with the new album. Lead vocalist Russell Allen really showcases a powerful set of pipes very early on and while he is not one of those soaring eight octave types, he really is one of my favorite Metal singers based on the purity of his voice. There are times on the album where he reminds me a little of Ronnie James Dio of course, but that is never a bad thing when you are in a Metal band. “Domination” continues the journey and while it begins with some fast paced fury, it switches up the tempo when the vocals come in just a little bit for diversity. The chorus finds the speed picked up again and the guys keeps swapping back on forth to keep the listener engaged while the tune progresses. I’ll skip around a little and speak about what comes off as the bands ballad for the release which we find on “Paradise Lost”. It’s not a true ballad per se, but the feel is smooth and the vocals from Allen softer than we have ever found him to my knowledge. The pace picks up a little midway and when it gets to the chorus you can almost envision the audience lighting up their lighters or using their cell phone displays to bring the moment a little more in the visual sense. In any case we are only half of the way in and we can easily find out just how well crafted the release is and how hard Mike Romeo worked on the compositions we received on this one. Continue reading “Paradise Lost” by Symphony X→
It might spark some of you readers interests because my whole adventure into writing and photography actually began with the band Nightwish and as result they always hold a special place in my media guy heart. The band was back with new music and a new singer and hitting the Nokia and I was on point to bring you the larger than life scoop. If you want to learn more just scroll past the logo below; It was truly the beginning of a new era.
Artist: Nightwish Venue: Nokia Theatre (New York, NY) Opener: Paradise Lost Date: 10-18-2007 Label: Roadrunner Records
It’s been a little over two years since the United States last had the chance to enjoy the music of Nightwish on the concert stage but now all those who had hoped for it to happen again would get their wish as the group was armed and ready for a triumphant return with not only new material but a new lead singer as well. The blockbuster show would be at the NokiaTheatre, a perfect venue for this kind of show, and they would be supported by Paradise Lost. I had been a fan of Nightwish since around 2002 and was quite excited about this show as hey were the first band that I had ever written about. The whole experience was going to be quite the “full circle” sort of vibe when it came down to it. Friends had gathered in nearby pubs and all around the discussion was on how the group would do without Tarja fronting them. As a fan I admit that I wasnt worried at all as the new album “Dark Passion Play” didn’t disppoint me in the least with the band sounding as vibrant as ever,only with a fresh new voice.
Paradise Lost: I only knew so much about Paradise Lost before this show and despite their being well-known eaders inthe Gothic Metal realm, they were a band that I very simply had never followed before. The Century Media Records artists had just released a new album entitled “In Reqiuem” and tonight their set would pay attention to it as well as present some of their older material. This was a smart choice for this very high profile gig, because even though they have been at this for awhile they had not yet toured this region and been able to reach this market as far as fans were concerned. The group was tight and this was to be expected and my observation found them going over well, yet despite this the audience was too charged up for Nightwish for it to have them make any great impact. I did feel that a whole new crowd was able to enjoy them tonight and perhaps will even be looking a little deeper into the music that they bring to the table going forward. Now it was time for Nightwish to hit the stage and like the two thousand plus in the Nokia Theatre joining me – I couldn’t wait to see them. Continue reading Nightwish @ Nokia Theatre Times Square (10/18/2007)→
