The Unnamable

Looking for a last minute stocking stuffer?  Then look no further, because I have the perfect gift idea for that horror movie lover in your family.  Recently MVD Visual and Unearthed Classics released The Unnamable on Blu-ray in HD.  The Unnamble was one of those cult classic films that got lost in the shuffle, but hopefully with this special edition release the movie will gain some new life.  The story is from H.P. Lovecraft and is sure to put a smile on the face of any true horror fan. 

The Unnamable is about a creature spawned some 300 years ago from Joshua Winthrop's wife, which ultimately killed him.  The house had been sealed up by magic until some nosey college kids decided to make it a place for some after hours fun.  Little do they know that they will be picked off one by one, by this unnamable creature. 

The restoration of this film looks great.  The movie was originally released in the late 80's, but with the restoration looks current.  The acting is fairly b-rated, but the special effects are top notch.  The creature looks a little campy, with its hooves, but other that that, it is pretty ferocious.  All in all a very enjoyable watch which will now get in the rotation every October.

Bottom Line:  A cult classic given new life.  The movie is fun and keep you on the edge of your seat. 

-Ragman is wondering how he missed this one the first time around.

MELODIC ROCK ARTIST DUANE MORANO JOINED BY MEMBERS OF EXTREME, FIREHOUSE, TYKETTO, XYZ, AND MORE, UNVEILS GUEST-HEAVY DEBUT RELEASE, ‘INCOGNITO’

“Feel good rock n’ roll – the music tells stories we can all relate to, but in a fun way” is how songwriter/guitarist Duane Morano describes his CD, Incognito. And on its first-ever release, ‘Incognito’(whose pre-sale begins on December 3rd via Pledge Music
(http://pmusic.co/lNL9xL), video trailer for Pledge campaign here (https://youtu.be/hMvoPo-iLAg) before its official release on February 8th, 2019), Duane has assembled a stellar supporting cast of names that are well-known to melodic rock fans worldwide – Tyketto’s Danny Vaughn, Extreme’s Pat Badger and Kevin Figueiredo, Firehouse’s Michael Foster and Bill Leverty, XYZ’s Terry Ilous, The Firm/Blue Murder’s Tony Franklin, and Alice Cooper’s Nita Strauss, among others.

As Duane explains, the CD ‘Incognito’ came together in a massive stroke of luck. “I had known Bill Leverty for a great many years, so he was in from the beginning. Back in 2016, I was having dinner with Bill and was asked if I was ever going to unshelve a CD I started working on years ago. After some thought, I finished a few of the tracks in my studio and sent them to Bill to be mixed. As we listened to the mixes, it became clear to both of us I needed to get rid of the programmed drums, find a bass player instead of a guitar player trying to play bass, and get someone that could sing what I was struggling to attempt. Changes needed to be made. That was when Bill suggested his drummer Michael Foster, so I gave him a shout.”

“The next step was finding the right vocalists to fit the handful of songs that were ready. I had my MP3 player on shuffle and Great White’s ‘Hard to Say Goodbye’ came on and thought, ‘Terry’s voice would be a great fit for a song,’ so I reached out to him and he asked to hear it. I sent him an MP3 with Michael and Tony playing on it. Terry was a bit surprised that as a guitar player I hired a bass player and didn’t do it myself which is typical in self-funded, small budget projects. After explaining, Terry saw I was willing to do what’s best for the music and liked the song, so he agreed to sing a song or two. As the project progressed and we got to know each other, we started trading ideas back and forth, writing and arraigning together, and ultimately ended up with five songs for consideration.”

“Pat coming on board was a happy accident. For 20 years or so I’ve collected music memorabilia as a hobby. Pat had a Pledge campaign going on at the time, and I pledged for the Patocam. He sent me an email saying something like, ‘Dude you got the Patocam,’ so I replied with some smart-aleck funny comment. He laughed, and we emailed back and forth for a few hours and went our separate ways. About a week went by and much to my surprise, I got a random email from him asking how I was doing.”

As the project’s leader explains, the album is loaded with rockin’ highlights. “Nita Strauss solo on ‘Manhattan’ was a pick up your jaw off the floor moment. Bryan Cole’s vocals on ‘Don’t Believe You’ grabs elements of rock and blues with a touch of soul, and delivers one of the best performances I’ve ever heard him do. The way Michael Foster and Pat Badger cement and play with the groove on ‘Kid Gloves’ is cool.”

And the guests sound equally enthusiastic about the disc. Terry Ilous – “If you want to listen to good rock and roll, good music, pledge for this CD. Duane is a wonderful guitar player, and I’m looking forward to singing more songs for him.” Nita Strauss – “‘Manhattan’ is a GREAT song. Thank you for having me on it.” Bill Leverty – “Duane has an amazing CD, filled with tasty music and killer guitar work.”

Duane is also confident that his brand of rock fits in well with the current musical climate. “With the interest, people have in bands of my youth; I think Incognito gives people the opportunity to hear elements of what was great about that era of music – but in a fresh way. Incognito pays tribute to that period, but leaves the listener feeling satisfied like you’ve got something new.

And if all goes according to plan, the CD will not merely be a studio project. “Shows could happen if we can get schedules coordinated. That’s always the hardest part when trying to get people from several different active bands together in the same place at the same time. There is the talk of a live version, and something Bryan, Danny, Terry, and I think could be a lot of fun.”

Lastly, what are Duane’s future plans? “Finish the CD and then spend some much-needed time with my wife and kids – while putting a live band together, for special events.”

CONFIRMED TRACKS/LINE-UPS FOR ‘INCOGNITO’:

After the Love- Danny Vaughn, Duane Morano, Pat Badger, Michael Foster, Bryan Cole

Cookie Jar- Bryan Cole, Duane Morano, Tony Franklin, Michael Foster, Chris Lester

Sincerely Yours- Bryan Cole, Duane Morano, Pat Badger, Michael Foster, Shane French

Don’t Believe You- Bryan Cole, Duane Morano, Keith Horne, Michael Foster

Face the Fire- Danny Vaughn, Duane Morano, Keith Horne, Bryan Cole, Kevin Figueiredo (K-Figg)

Giovanna- Danny Vaughn, Duane Morano, John Morano, Michael Foster

Kid Gloves- Danny Vaughn, Duane Morano, Pat Badger, Michael Foster, John Surabian, Bryan Cole

Manhattan- Dan Michaels, Duane Morano, Pat Badger, Michael Foster, Nita Strauss

Hearts- Terry Ilous, Duane Morano, Tony Franklin, Michael Foster, Dan Michaels, Bryan Cole

Love is just a lie- Terry Ilous, Duane Morano, JK Northrup, Pat Badger, Michael Foster

Why- Terry Ilous, Duane Morano, Keith Horne, Bryan Cole, Michael Foster

Barely Breathing- Danny Vaughn, Duane Morano, Pat Badger, Michael Foster

FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE VISIT:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/duanemoranomusic
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/duanemorano
Twitter:      @duanemorano

Podcast #245: Swap

Genghis and Ragman hit the road and journey across H-town to go see Angra.  Join the boys as they order some pizza, grab a beer and talk metal.  The boys discuss how they discovered some of their favorite bands, and believe it or not, It wasn't through the internet, it was from tape swapping.  I know we're old.  Once the guys arrive at the venue, they grabbed Angra guitarist Rafael Bittencourt for a quick chat prior to his performance.  Rafael discusses the band's first U.S tour as well as their most recent record Omni.

Beer of the Show: New Belgium - Citradelic

Beer Rating: 3.5

Featured Tracks: Treat - The Rose of Jericho, Type O Negative - Christian Woman, Roxanne - Go Fuck Yourself, Angra - Hollow, Silence Inside, Insania, Traveler's of Time

-Ragman was blown away by Angra!

Podcast #245: Swap

“TO WHOM IT MAY” SUPPORTS FULL-LENGTH DEBUT, ‘THE GREAT FILTER,’ WITH TOUR DATES WITH DROWNING POOL AND 10 YEARS

With an increasing number of up-and-coming rock bands becoming easier to categorize, the Galveston, Texas-based trio, To Whom It May, serves as a much-welcomed arrival - as heard throughout their recently-released full-length debut, ‘The Great Filter’ (G4L Records), which has already charted on iTunes Metal at #10 and Billboard Heatseekers at #10. Are they prog-rock? Are they melodic-rock? Are they hard rock? As evidenced throughout the ten-track album, the answer is...a little bit of each: https://www.g4lrecords.com/twim-music/

Comprised of members Jonathan Jourdan - vocals/guitar, Robb Mars - bass, and Dexas Villarreal - drums, TWIM bridges the gap between complexity and groove, while creating a fresh, new sound. And the band are hard-working road warriors - with upcoming shows with the likes of Drowning Pool and 10 Years, and 2019 shows soon to be announced with Candlebox (Candlebox singer Kevin Martin - who heads up A&R at G4L Records - is a major admirer of the band). 

 

“The album took around 3 years from start to finish,” explains Jourdan. “It was an experimental process for us, because the project was so new. We wanted to be able to look at the record in 10 years and still be content with the outcome. My favorite track on the album changes every day, but ‘Calculate’ is a favorite at the moment. It’s our current single, and hearing an audience sing along during the show is a moving event.”

 

And it turns out that “Calculate” has already received the “video treatment.” “The main actor in the video, Rob Flurry, was put through quite a lot during the filming,” recalls Jourdan. “He had the roughest day schedule out of everyone on set, yet he was still able to make everyone laugh and smile in between shots. Not only Rob but the whole crew really made it a great experience.” The clip can be viewed here: https://youtu.be/n-36cStokkw

The band also has a clear view of how they fit into today’s tricky rock climate. “I think when looking out into today’s industry it’s easy to see similarities between most artists. Whether it be musical trends or fashion trends it seems a lot of artists want to try and ride that wave that’s already breaking. We hope to bring something unique to the table, With the ease of sharing music in today’s age, I think that the listeners are ready for art with honesty and passion that goes against the trends of today.”

 

And what can fans expect from seeing the band live at these upcoming shows? “When we perform, we try to go back into the headspace we were in when we wrote the music. We want to bring the audience into our world during a show. It’s not about party anthems or extreme aggression, but rather the ebb and flow of all emotions we can channel through music.”

 

Lastly, TWIM have clear plans for the immediate future. “Continue supporting ‘The Great Filter’ by heading out on tour with Drowning Pool in November and 10 Years in December. Following that, we will be working on a new music video and heading to the NAMM conference in Anaheim in January.” 

 

Confirmed tour dates:

 

•Nov 29 Lubbock Tx w/ Drowning Pool 

•Nov 30 Abilene Tx w/ Drowning Pool 

•Dec 1 San Antonio Tx w/ Drowning Pool

•Dec 7 Houston Tx w/ Drowning Pool 

•Dec 8 Tyler Tx w/ Drowning Pool 

•Dec 14 Galveston Tx (headlining)

•Dec 27 Columbus Oh w/ 10 years

•Dec 28 Ft Wayne In w/ 10 years

•Dec 29 Asheville Nc w/ 10 years

•Dec 30 Atlanta Ga w/ 10 years

•Jan 18 Houston Tx (headlining)

•Feb 1 San Antonio Tx w/ 10 years

 

The official tracklist for The Great Filter is as follows:

1. Bypass
2. Calculate
3. Quick
4. Descend
5. Weight of the Stone
6. The Signal Fire
7. Firescape
8. Sick Day
9. Ghost
10. Take What I Can

 

FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE VISIT:

 

www.towhomitmay.net

 

facebook.com/ToWhomItMayBand

Steven Wilson - Home Invasion: In Concert At The Royal Albert Hall

I have to admit, I came late to the party when it comes to Steven Wilson and Porcupine Tree.  I had heard his name as well as his former band mentioned several times, over the years, but did not lock in until his last solo record To the Bone.  Believe it or not I was in a record store in Bologna, Italy the first time I heard it playing.  I thought to myself wow, this is bad ass, I wonder who it is, so I asked the proprietor and he told me it was Steven Wilson.  At that point, I was hooked.  All that said, Steven has just released his latest live show on CD and BluRay, which was recorded in London at the The Royal Albert Hall.

This is show was shot beautifully.  You get that sense of being in the arena viewing the show from every angle.  Steven has a very stimulating light show and use of visual effects.  He uses a back screen to add visual effects as well as bring in some clips from his music videos, to add to the dynamic of the show.  The audio on this release is equally impressive.  Steven and his band sound amazing live.  The set list is comprised mostly of Wilson's solo work, but as a bonus, he has thrown in 6 Porcupine Tree songs to appease the diehards.  This is a solid release and is a must have for Wilson's fans.  Also, if you're new to Porcupine or Steven Wilson, then this is a perfect way to get a preview of what this guy is about.  You will not be disappointed.

Bottom Line: Steven Wilson showing off how bad ass he and his band are.  A great visual as well as sounding incredible.  If you remotley like Steven Wilson, then this one is worth checking out.  After one viewing, you'll be sold.

-Ragman still can't believe it took him this long to discover the musical genius, which is Steven Wilson.