Interview with Bobby Blitz Ellsworth of Overkill: This is Our Calling
Overkill is synonymous with power, precision and perseverance. Across three decades they have shaped, refined, and steadily broadened a style of power metal.
Overkill is synonymous with power, precision and perseverance. Across three decades they have shaped, refined, and steadily broadened a style of power metal.
George Lynch, lead guitarist for Dokken and leader of his own dual rock bands, Lynch Mob and Souls of We, has announced plans to release his eleventh solo album in nearly twenty years. Kill All Control is set for release this summer through Rocket Science, Inc.
One of the many common misconceptions about Death Metal is that people think Death Metal musicians and fans are all about violence and death. It makes sense really; the genre is called DEATH Metal, and one look at the lyrics of any song is enough to make any God-fearing man crap his pants. What outsiders fail to realize is that the so-called “headbangers” do all this in good fun; for the most part. There are always the black metal bands who burn churches and torture people, but they are NOT Death Metal. They are just lumped in to this genre by people who don’t know better. Death Metal is really all about having a great time.
One band that many veteran metal heads feel should have hit the big time was New York’s The Rods. Comprised of members David “Rock” Feinstein (guitar/lead vocals), Garry Bordonaro (bass/vocals), and Carl Canedy (drums/vocals), The Rods would go on to open arena shows for such renowned groups as Iron Maiden, Twisted Sister, Judas Priest, Ozzy Osbourne, the Scorpions, Rainbow and during the mid ’80s, even had a then-unknown Metallica opening a headlining tour for them.
Legendary guitar and piano/keyboard virtuoso, Tony MacAlpine’s new selftitled album, to be released June 21 on Favored Nations, marks a highly-anticipated return to solo work after a prolific decade of output with his bands, including prog-metal-fusion trio
Planet X; GRAMMY-nominated jazz fusion outfit CAB; power metallers Ring Of Fire; as well as performing keyboard and guitar duties in Steve Vai’s double platinum DVD-selling live band “The Breed” from 2001-2006. “When I set out to write a new album, I quickly realized that my urge to once again create and define myself as a solo artist had returned with a vengeance,” said MacAlpine. “This is my strongest album to date. I can’t wait to hit the road and play it live.”
Lemmy Kilmister may be the driving force of Motörhead, but Phil Campbell is the vehicle that they travel their music journey in. Phil has been Lemmy’s right hand man and lead guitarist for 27 years, performing 14 Motörhead LPs including such classics as Bastards, Inferno, and Hammered.
It’s early September. Wylde’s home from Ozzfest where he did double duty with Ozzy and Zakk’s own Black Label Society (BLS). Time to rest? Hardly. He’s up at 4 a.m. doing whatever it is he has to do as hard as he can do it. The BLS motto of Strength, Determination, Merciless, Forever is no marketing gimmick. The son of a now 87-year-old WW II D-Day Omaha Beach veteran, combat intensity is in Zakk’s blood.
When Times of Grace started, Adam Dutkiewicz and Jesse Leach had songs written but they didn’t know if they would record them. When they had recorded an album, they didn’t know if they would release it. And after they released their debut record, The Hymn Of A Broken Man (Special Edition)(CD/DVD), in 2010, they weren’t sure if they were going to tour behind it, which brings us to the Bottom Lounge last weekend in Chicago. Obviously, response has been enough for Times of Grace to do a club tour across the U.S. with guests War of Ages (Erie, PA) and Straight Line Stitch (Knoxville, TN).
HellYeah is a Supergroup comprised of Grammy nominated and chart topping musicians – drummer Vinnie Paul, vocalist Chad Gray, guitarists Greg Tribbett and Tom Maxwell as well and bassist Bob Zilla. As HellYeah they also have an impressive history. Their debut album has sold nearly 400,000 copies in the US and produced two Top 10 Active Rock singles “Alocohaulin Ass” and “You Wouldn’t Know.” Their second CD, Stampede debuted at #8 on the Billboard 200, making it their highest-charted album to date.
That’s what you get when the combine Buckcherry and HellYeah sharing the same bill in New York City for the Jägermeister Music Tour. While initially this may seem like odd touring combination, make no mistake that these two bands are carrying the torch for pure American Rock n’ Roll, HellYeah with their blend of “spirit lifting” southern rock and Buckcherry with their distinctive commercial driving crotch n’ rock.
