Podcast #167: Tees

If things get dicey at a Hellion show, you know Maxxx will be swinging for the fences.When did you get your first concert tee and where did it go? Did you hoard it away in a closet, or has it disappeared off the face of the earth?  If you're lucky you can still fit in it but if you're like Genghis and Ragman, that ain't happenin'. Join Genghis and Ragman as they discuss their first concert t-shirt experience as well as how they look at tees today. Next, the boys bring in new axeslinger Maxxxwell Carlisle who discusses his latest EP, Full Metal Thunder, as well as his role in the reunited Hellion.

DVD of the Show: Winger - Live in Japan (1991)

Beer of the Show: Smoke Jumper Porter (Left Hand Brewery)
	Appearance: 3.0 Aroma: 3.0 Palate: 3.0 Taste: 3.0 Overall: 3.0	"The smoke in this American porter is a bit off-putting unless you're a rauchbier fan, but this is a good companion to meat dishes."

Featured Tracks: Gloomball - The Distance; Winger - Rainbow in the Rose; Sammy Hagar - Three Lock Box; Motörhead - (We Are) The Road Crew; Saxon - Batallions of Steel; Maxxxwell Carlisle - Time Crisis, Marching With the Dragons, The Call of the Wild and Full Metal Thunder

Ragman's Classic of the Show: Accept - London Leather Boys

Genghis' Classic of the Show: Nuno - Swollen Princess

Ragman's Pick of the Show: Icarus Witch - Break the Silence

Genghis' Pick of the Show: Freedom Call - Hero on Video (Speed Ska Version)

- Ragman needs to get his Kicks & Kisses list together soon...

Podcast #167: Tees

Podcast #166: Backlog

To all the artists we interviewed, we want to apologize for being so late with publishing these interviews. We'll do better!The end of the year is fast approaching and us here at The Right to Rock thought it would be a good idea to purge the system. As you know things don't always happen fast around here and things get missed, but it doesn't mean they're not important. So join Genghis & Ragman as they flush out some interviews from this past summer. The boys set up shop at Tacos a Go-Go to discuss some of these lost interviews and much more.

Pork Guisado tacos @ Tacos A Go GoFirst on the docket are Eric Harris and Andrew Packer of Gyspyhawk, followed by Ramming Speed's Jonah Livingston and Peter Gallagher. Following that we have Havok's David Sanchez and, last but not least, Laura Wilde checks in before her set opening up for The Nuge! It's interview-palooza up in this piece! HORNS UP!

Featured Tracks: Million $ Reload - Bullets in the Sky; Gyspyhawk - Hedgeking and Galaxy Ride; Ramming Speed - Ashes and Doomed to Destroy; Havok - Is It True and Waste of Life; Fueled by Fire - Obliteration; Laura Wilde - Sold My Soul and For You

- Ragman was anxious to hear Genghis' mad interview tear...

Podcast #166: Backlog

Podcast #165: Residence

Years ago, when you went to Vegas, it was all about seeing Sinatra, Elvis, or even Liberace, but recently that's all changed as many of our musical heroes have invaded the city in the desert and claimed it as their own. Yup, the town that once housed the mob and The Brat Pack is now a heavy metal haven. Join the boys as they discuss the new trend of residencies in Sin City; is it a short lived experiment, or will it be here to stay? Next, the lads bring in metal legend Fang VonWrathenstein of the Lords of Trident who discusses how the band has been spreading the metal thunder for the past 500+ years including their latest EP, Plan of Attack.

DVD of the Show: Type O Negative - Sympathy for the Devil

Beer of the Show: Honey Kölsch (Rogue Brewing Co.)
	Appearance: 3.0 Aroma: 3.5 Palate: 3.0 Taste: 3.5 Overall: 3.0	"Those magnificent bastards at Rogue have joined the GYO revolution with a sweet beer dedicated to bees. Nice!"

Featured Tracks: Epysode - The Arch; Type O Negative - Love You to Death; A Pale Horse Named Death - Shallow Grave; King Diamond and Volbeat - Room 24; Judas Priest - Touch of Evil; Def Leppard - Photograph and Mirror, Mirror; Lords of Trident - Chains of Fire, Complete Control, Song of the Wind and Sea, The Metal Sea and The Joust

Ragman's Classic of the Show: Scorpions - Falling in Love

Genghis' Classic of the Show: Steve Vai - Die to Live

Ragman Pick of the Show: Burning Rain - My Lust, Your Fate

Genghis' Pick of the Show: Dark Age - Afterlife

- Ragman can't believe another year has come and gone...

Podcast #165: Residence

Chronos Zero - A Prelude To Emptiness

I feel sorry for the guy who has to tyoe up the name of this album title in their review...DOH!Should you doubt the seriousness of progmetal band Chronos Zero's debut album, know that the full title for it is A Prelude to Emptiness - The Tears Path: Chapter Alpha. Not so smug now are you? 

Well, Italy's clearly latched on to the whole progressive metal genre with gusto as it seems everywhere you turn around these days you run into a new band full of the requisite virtuosos in pirate shirts. And the members of Chronos Zero wear their influences on their billowy sleeves on tracks like Lost Hope, New Hope Pt. II and The Creation, which are nearly dead ringers for classic Symphony X tunes. Not that I'm complaining about that. Some influences are so strong they can't help but rise to the surface in everything you do.

Luckily, the boys of Chronos Zero are quite talented or such an attempt would fall flat on its face. So, yes, this is a concept album, but I'd be hard pressed to tell you I could figure out what was going on or whether the story was even well told. But what I can tell you is that Chronos Zero is a band that has the talent to make original progmetal music that sounds like authentic 90s era stuff of the genre. And, I can also tell you that these people are clearly talented. Fair enough?

The Bottom Line: If you're a fan of the genre, particularly of a certain era, you're likely to go cuckoo for these Italian Cocoa Puffs. Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying they're bad. They're just not breaking any new ground, something that sets the cream of the crop apart in this crowded genre.

- Genghis knows he could never have pulled off that pirate look...

81db - A Blind Man's Dream

Ouzo, baklava, gyros, and now metal? Man, those Greeks never quit innovating stuff.One of the coolest things about modern metal is the sheer amount of diversity in its influences and musical permutations. Such is certainly the case with Italy's 81db and their latest effort, A Blind Man's Dream. Founded by guitarist Kostas Ladopoulos, the band interfuses modern alternative metal with the folk music of Ladopoulos' native Greece in a very natural way. The result is a unique and fascinating sound that works well in a heavy context.

Since their forming in 2006, the band has released two previous albums and gained a good following in Europe and it's easy to see why. It took me a while to realize that acoustic parts were almost exclusively played on a bouzouki, having no problem being juxtaposed with the more energetic heavy rhythyms. In fact I honestly didn't even realize what was going on musically until read the bio on the band. Going back to those parts of the songs and listening again I could hear the very traditional Greek melodies and marvelled at how well they blended into this modern metal music. It's really rather amazing. Dig the intro of Sirens and how the balls and chunk™ kicks in at 0:14 for good example of how this all works.

Thematically, the album's narrative is based on One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest, though I've never seen the movie and know nothing about the story. But the music is what stands out, at times even sounding progressive, almost like a European version of Tool. It's fresh, heavy and invigorating - everything I enjoy about good metal music.

The Bottom Line: Opa! 81db is another great example of how metal transcends geopolitical boundaries (which makes it such a fascinating musical genre), and their blending of traditional Greek folk music with modern alternative metal is nothing short of genius. Looking for something different? Check this out.

Songs To Drink Ouzo To In Your Leather Foustanella: Manicomium, Sirens, When The Cat's Away

- Genghis would love to own an authentic bouzouki...