thePULSEBy Jillian Locke, Music Editor
To all of my amazing readers,
First off, I want to thank EVERYONE who actually takes the time to read this column every month. Being a writer can be a lonely job ~ we have no idea if 5 people or 500 people read what we write! But every artist and writer knows that they create for themselves first and foremost, and if anyone else can benefit from it or gain even an inkling of enjoyment from their work, then that’s a fabulous bonus ~ especially in the musical arena, because any die-hard music fan knows that the interconnectivity and unseen bond between music fans is just as strong as the music that ties us together.
That being said, I’ve decided to put Locke on Rock on hiatus for a little while. I’ve reached a point where I have to put more energy towards gaining new perspective and achieving certain goals; both changes that I hope will influence and refresh my writing. I’m not putting the column to rest, just taking a step back. I will, however, continue to contribute to The Pulse – be it through artist interviews, book reviews, things of the like. I will also be contributing to the new music page, Music for the Masses, which will encompass all types of music and entertainment news, so BE SURE to check out all of the stellar work from my fellow writers.
Locke on Rock will return, but until it does, keep the music alive, keep reading, and as always….ROCK!!!
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TASTE OF CHAOS: FOUR YEAR STRONG
Ginormous happenings are on the horizon for Worcester’s very own Reggie And The Full Effect-ized pop-punk army, Four Year Strong. On February 27th, the boys hit up The Palladium on their hometown stop of this year’s Taste of Chaos tour, a door which was opened after their slot on last years Warped Tour. “Friday night was awesome,” says guitarist/vocalist Dan O’Connor. “We love playing home, and the kids were crazy as always. The Palladium was really packed, it was sick.” The tour, which kicked off on Valentine’s Day, takes the crew across the country until they hit their final destination in Canada in April. FYS are certainly paving their way in the big-time, mainstream circuit.
But how did this little punk band from Worcester gather so much acclaim? The good ol’ DIY way. “We had always set up our own shows, and were touring the country before we had any record label,” O’Connor says. “The hardest part was first getting signed. The owners of our label, I Surrender Records, found us online and came out to a show we played in NYC. We signed with them in February of 2007. And in February of 2008, we signed with Decaydence Records – we’re actually on both labels.” I asked O’Connor to explain, because that notion kinda blew my mindhole. “Both of the labels are basically working together for our band. It’s really cool ~ instead of having two brains, we have three brains on a subject.
”Collectively, these three brains have a decent amount in store for FYS in the coming months. “After TOC, we’re going to go into the studio to record…our record came out two years ago this September, so we want to get a new record out in late summer/early fall.” Good luck and God speed, boys!
www.myspace.com/fouryearstrongGotta say, that although my heart is with hometown guys FYS, their fellow Taste of Chaos-ers kicked some major ass, too ~ this night was all about siiiik energy and mosh pits, but it was also about bands really loving what they do and loving the audience for supporting them. Cancer Bats (lead singer Liam Cormier has the perfect balance of youthful energy that charms the audience and a stage presence that totally controls them), Pierce the Veil, Bring Me The Horizon, and Thursday ALL made the Taste of Chaos a VERY delicious one to swallow)!
OK, now before we plow into April, we got a few things from last month to catch up on…
MANTIC RITUAL – DRIVE-BY THRASHING
Having just slashed through the Palladium on March 6th, Pittsburgh, PA’s thrash metal collective, Mantic Ritual, are celebrating the re-release of their debut album, Executioner, through Nuclear Blast Records. According to guitarist Jeff Potts, “Executioner is a re-recording of our first album, which we self-produced in 2007, while we were still called Meltdown. We just sent our first demo out to every label we could find an address for, and Nuclear Blast gave us a call and said they wanted to see us play live. We videotaped a gig and sent it to them, and we were officially signed on Valentine’s Day of 2008. Really metal, I know,” Potts laughs.
Nuclear Blast made a gooooooooood decision…
Mantic Ritual are essentially everything you would expect from a thrash metal band – they’re fast, they’re tight, and their appearances scream vintage thrash, harkening back to the hair and garb of Metallica’s earlier years. Potts is a self-proclaimed power-metal dork, and cites Andre Olbrich from Blind Guardian and Michael Romeo from Symphony X as his biggest influences. “I kind of ripped off Michael Romeo’s technique, but I’m making my own now,” Potts confesses. Clearly, the most challenging part of being a thrash guitarist is simple ~ keeping your sh*t tight and fast. “We always open with the song “One by One;” it’s so fast…and you can’t slouch on it. A lot of time, there are really simple riffs, and if you’re not playing like you mean it, it’s gonna get all crappy,” Potts asserts.
As for their current tour with 80s thrash veterans Destruction, their nads could not be more pumped. “They’re insane ~ they’re so good, and are really influential to the style we play. They’re pioneers of it, really,” says Potts. This summer brings more metallic debauchery for MR, as a US/Canadian tour with Sworn Enemy and Pro-Pain is already slated for June and July. New songs are already in the works, but first, MR plan to “promote the hell out of Executioner!” Keep your eyes peeled for summer tour dates and the booooming force that is Mantic Ritual! These guys are young, but they are going to (hell, they already are!) bring some serious, serious power-metal to the people for a good long time to come. And get this, they’re actually NICE guys, too! www.myspace.com/manticritual
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NOW! Some tasty tid-bits to keep your metal appetites satiated:
• KYLESA (www.myspace/kylesa.com) – Static Tensions
• CATTLE DECAPITATION (www.myspace.com/cattledecapitation, www.cattledecapitation.com) – The Harvest Floor
• DARKANE (www.myspace.com/darkane, www.darkane.com) – Demonic Art
• EDGUY (www.myspace.com/edguy, www.edguy.net) – The Singles
• AVANTASIA (www.myspace.com/avantasia, www.tobiassammet.com) – Lost in Space, Part 1 & 2
ALSO! This year’s 11th annual New England Metal and Hardcore Fest is switching the program up a bit this year ~ a Thursday, April 16th kick-off party will begin the metal pilgrimage weekend, with drawer-wetting line-ups for the 17th and 18th…but there will be NO Sunday show this year. Check out the full schedule at www.massconcerts.com, and www.myspace.com/metalandhardcorefestival, because you obviously have to hit up at least one day. And here’s my interview with God Forbid to get you into the NEMHF mood ~
GOD FORBID ~ NEW ENGLAND METAL AND HARDCORE FESTIVAL, APRIL 18th
God Forbid are no strangers to NEMHF, and on April 18th, they’ll be returning to the stage they know so well as part of the No Fear Energy Tour, alongside Municipal Waste, As I Lay Dying, Children of Bodom, and Lamb of God. Aside from being a part of this metallically stellar tour, GF are also on tour promoting Earthsblood, which hit the circuit in February. Having been off the radar for the past two years, GF is returning with fresh drive and energy to recapture their older fans and spread the revitalized riffage to new ears.
“We’ve played Metal Fest about six or seven times, I believe,” guitarist Doc Coyle recalls. “We kind of feel like the house band now…we’re coming through with a really huge tour, so I feel like we’re coming around with more respect this time around.”
I would say the respect is pretty unconditional with this band, and especially at The Palladium. This New Jersey-based metal tribe has been pummeling The Palladium for years; the first time I saw them there was in 2001, with Killswitch Engage (touring for their first album!), Nile, and Cradle of Filth. “That was the biggest metal tour going on at the time; that was before things really blew up for us. Unless you’re on tour with Slayer, tours weren’t really big like that, so that tour was huge for us,” reflects Coyle.
That tour specifically always kind of stunned me. It seemed like a huge smorgasbord of different types of metal, and I always found it interesting that KSE and GF were included in that line-up. “We’re kind of a chameleon band; we write a lot of different types of songs, and if we’re playing with more melodic, or heavier bands, we gear our set-list towards that.”
And their 2009 Century Media Records release certainly showcases their diversity. “We’ve definitely created a new sound and we’re definitely changed as a band. We listen to too many different types of music to try to cultivate one specific sound; we’re not 100% heavy all the time. We enjoy the dynamic nature of melody and musicianship together.” Other influences also inspired the title of this organic offering – Earthsblood was derived from the film There Will Be Blood. Earthsblood is about the interconnectivity of life and the living environment. Water isn’t necessary alive, but its part of our biosphere, and we need respect it and find a new consciousness with that knowledge.” With the help of producer Eric Rachel (Atreyu), vocal producer Christian Olde Wolbers (Fear Factory, Threat Signal), and mixer Jens Bogren (Opeth), God Forbid has given that vision a musical presence, one they hope will still entice their fans.
There are definitely two types of bands ~ the ones that create a staple, classic sound, and can build a lasting musical career based on said sound, like Motorhead and Slayer. The other type is the band that constantly grows itself and explores different musical dimensions, and God Forbid is a perfect example. “Musically, we kind of took our time when we first started writing; we were very exploratory. We decided to figure out another way to branch out. When we made Gone Forever (2004), as good as it was, it was difficult to escape out of the shadows of bands like KSE and LOG ~ we weren’t necessarily doing anything another band wasn’t,” Coyle explains. “On the last two records, mainly the new one, we thought, What can we do that our peers aren’t doing? What’s gonna set us apart? Let’s take some chances and do things that are more introspective.’ We were listening to more progressive, ambient, and patient music. We made a big effort to lay it down a little edgier than the last album with different types of song structure…it’s more of ‘thinking man’s’ type of metal. If anything, our music can be enjoyed by a wide variety of people. We’re stepping outside of the box and trying different things while still maintaining our identity, which is a difficult type of balancing act. We’re an always-evolving band ~ you gotta kind of stick to your guns. We collectively decided to make the albums we’ve made, and the changes we’ve made.”
So, what are their plans for delivering this new sound on such a heavy tour? “We’re working with a 25 minute slots, so that’s essentially five songs. We’ve been asking ourselves, ‘Do we go with heavier songs or just try and play our best songs, regardless?’ We’ve tried to play a couple different sets to see the one that works the best. As far as metal tours go, it’s gonna be one of the biggest and best of the year.”
Regardless of the set list, God Forbid has been consistently delivering the metal goods for around 13 years now, and with the rest of the bands set to slaughter The Palladium on the 18th, fans are in for an epic day of monstrously face-melting metal.
www.myspace.com/godforbid, www.massconcerts.com
Until then, may the power of rock compel you!!!
Four Year Strong and Mantic Ritual photos by Frank Poulin, www.flashwounds.com
THIS JUST IN!!! BIG NEW ENGLAND METAL FEST NEWS!
Panel series added as part of the 11th Annual New England Metal and Hardcore Festival
New England Metal and Hardcore Festival, Crimson Management and The Syndicate are proud to announce the Second Annual Metal Insider Summit on April 17, 2009. The Metal Insider Summit is an interactive, educational conference consisting of two panels where fans and the metal music industry can engage, share ideas and help further the scene. The Metal Insider Summit will give fans an opportunity to meet key members in the business and gain valuable insight on how to start their own careers. It will also give labels, managers, agents, endorsers, publishers, media promoters, bands and more the chance to interact with the people who buy their albums, tickets and merchandise.
Admission is free with an RSVP at MetalInsider.net and a ticket to New England Metal and Hardcore Festival, or appropriate proof of purchase. Those unable to attend will be able to partake and contribute with exclusive coverage at MetalInsider.net, MetalSucks.net and MetalInjection.net in the days following the event.
“I am very excited to moderate again this year at the Metal Insiders Summit at New England Metal Fest,” says Metal Blade Records CEO Brian Slagel. “Last year was a lot of fun and I felt we had a great panel and discussion. I look forward to another great year, see you there!”
Mass Concerts’ Scott Lee, participating in the Summit for the second year in a row, encourages casual fans and aspiring professionals alike to join. “If you are a fan or are interested in getting into the music business this is the place to be. Mass Concerts is proud to have The Metal Summit as part of the New England Metal and Hardcore Fest,” adds Lee.
Details for the Metal Insider Summit are as follows:
METAL INSIDER SUMMIT LOCATION:
Hilton Garden Inn
35 Major Taylor Blvd
Worcester, MA 01608
Session One: Metal During a Recession (1:00 – 1:45)
Panelists:
– Brian Slagel, Chairman/CEO of Metal Blade Records
– Ash Avildsen, TKO Booking/ Sumerian Records/Summer Slaughter Tour
– Blasko, Artist Manager for Mercenary Management/Bassist, Ozzy Osbourne
– Scott Lee, Mass Concerts
– Jason Rudolph, Artist Manager for Heavy Hitter (Daath, The Chariot, IWrestledABearOnce)
– Amy Sciarretto, Director of Publicity for Roadrunner Records
Session Two: Breaking Into the Industry (2:00 – 2:45)
Panelists:
– Bram Teitelman, Radio Promotion for The Syndicate/Editor for MetalInsider..net
– Jason Bittner, Drummer for Shadows Fall/Burning Human
– Jody Dankburg, Director of Marketing and Artist Relations for Washburn/Randall/Eden/Parker
– Scott Givens, Vice President of Metal for E1 Entertainment
– Will Putney, Producer/Engineer at The Machine Shop
MetalInsider.net, scheduled to fully launch in May 2009, is a site that will offer a unique look into the metal music industry though news, interviews and editorials. The site will launch as an affiliate of the Blast Beat Ad Network. Other Blast Beat Network affiliates include MetalSucks.net, who will be live-blogging the Metal Insider Summit, and MetalInjection.net, who will be filming the Summit.
The New England Metal and Hardcore Festival is proudly presented by Randall, Washburn and Eden Electronics. Sponsors include Metal Blade Records, Prosthetic Records, Anchor Bay Entertainment, Monster Energy, Deathcote Records, 518 Prints, All In Merchandise, Atticus Clothing, R&D Express, Vic Firth, SJC Custom Drums, Chasers, Mazur PR, The Syndicate, Heavy Hitter, the Rock and Shock Festival, Roadrunner Records, Myspace Metal, Killer Tours, Scott Lee Clothing, Jeremy Saffer, Defyunlearn.com and Returntothepit.com
