Podcast #227: Pre-sale

If this little postage stamp of a photo of the men of Nocturnal Rites makes you curious, you can embiggen it.How many times did you stand in line for hours waiting for concert tickets back in the day? We've spent many an hour waiting to get tickets to see our favorite bands, often camping out the night before to ensure we got better tickets than the scalpers - though it usually didn't work out that way. Fast forward 30 years and now camping out is a thing of the past. In most cases, as long as your awake by 9:45AM and can get the computer fired up, you're good. Join the lads as they discuss their ticketing trials and tribulations in the past as well as the present and the myserious rise of the "pre-sale" phenomenon.

Next, Ragman goes head to head with Nocturnal Rites bassist Nils Eriksson to discuss the band's latest release Phoenix, the band's 10-year hiatus, and what it was like getting the band going again. You don't want to miss this episode, because if you do...well, you've missed it. HORNS UP!

Editor's Note: Sorry for the lag time guys. G & R have been tied up with many different projects but are now getting back on track. Get ready for our infamous Kicks and Kisses lists of 2017 coming soon!

DVD of the Show: The Winery Dogs - Live in Santiago

Beer of the Show: [Cellared 2016] Barrel-aged Cherry Chocolate Double Brown Stout (Deep Ellum Brewery)
	Appearance: 4.0 Aroma: 4.0 Palate: 4.0 Taste: 4.0 Overall: 4.0	"It may not need cellaring, being barrel-aged, but this stout is absolutely outstanding."

Featured Tracks: Lynch Mob - I'll Take Miami; Sons of Apollo - Signs of the Time; Art of Anarchy - The Madness; Judas Priest - Freewill Burning; Nocturnal Rites - Still Alive, Heart Black as Coal, A Song for You, What's Killing Me, Nothing Can Break Me, and The Iron Force

Ragman's Classic of the Show: Heavy Pettin' - Love on the Run

Genghis' Classic of the Show: Anthrax - Armed and Dangerous

Ragman's Pick of the Show: Kinlin - Forever and a Day

Genghis' Pick of the Show: Act of Defiance - The Talisman

- Ragman is disappointed about how Genghis failed long it took to get this show up...

Podcast #227: Pre-sale

Podcast #226: Friday

The lads stay in to watch a favorite horror movie and things go predictably awry. Mwuahaha!Genghis & Ragman once again try to spend a simple quiet Hallow's Eve watching a favorite horror movie on Blu-Ray without incident, but things never seem to go as planned at the Nightmare Studios campus, amirite? Taking a little trip to pop music hell would normally be a reason to want to end it all, but the lads manage to survive the ordeal with a little help from their friends...

'Cuz luckily, the boys run into the one and only Tracy G whose refreshing candor about the music industry is always as welcome as his amazing guitar work - which can be found on his latest CD, Tramp (read: GO GET IT!). So, kick back and enjoy this Halloween flashback to a couple of weeks ago when the lads literally went to hell and back for you listeners. Now get ready for tricks, treats, and HORNS UP!

DVD of the Show: Friday the 13th (2009)

Beer of the Show: Cellared 2016 Pumpkinator! (St. Arnold's Brewery)
	Appearance: 4.0 Aroma: 4.0 Palate: 4.0 Taste: 4.0 Overall: 4.0	"Cellared for a year, St. Arnold's annual Imperial Pumpkin Stout produced amazing results. Out-bloody-standing!"

Featured Tracks: Steve Vai - Erotic Nightmares; Alice Cooper - He's Back (Man Behind The Mask); The Birthday Massacre - No Tomorrow; Night Ranger - Sister Christian; Black Sabbath - Trashed; The Bloody Hammers - Gates Of Hell; Grim Reaper - See You In Hell; Tracy G Group - Arrogant Prick, Brokenness, and Evil Is Good

Genghis' Classic of the Show: Alice Cooper - Welcome To My Nightmare

Ragman's Classic of the Show: Lizzy Borden - Red Rum

Genghis' Pick of the Show: Dream Evil - Creature Of The Night

Ragman's Pick of the Show: GWAR - If You Want Blood, You Got It

- Genghis dreads editing these shows but likes the results...

Podcast #226: Friday

The Tracy G Group - Tramp

Oh, it's a tramp - I see what they did there...At this point we shouldn't have to mention that Tracy G is one our good friends, which may imply a bias in our review. But give a listen to his band's latest release, Tramp, and try to tell us we're wrong about it. The man has been steadily putting out music for years, collaborating with like-minded individuals with whom he feels a strong musical connection and the results speak for themselves.

Firstly, I have to give props to vocalist Michael Beatty whose cultivated hard rock chops belie his rough, biker bar bouncer look. What I'm saying is there's a momentary disconnect when you hear the vocals on, say, Fireball and picture a 20-something, shirtless, 80s hair metal band lead singer type, and then you see the guy on camera in the Leech video. In any case, this guy sings his ass off and he's perfect for Tracy G's dirty guitar sound. His vocals are a satisfying mix of Bruce Dickinson's authoritative bellow and Ozzy's serpentine serenade. Great choice.

The tunes themselves are classic examples of the G Man's penchant for somewhat unusual riff-based music; you think the melody is gonna zig and he zags every time, leaving you with something much more than just another metal song. And while The Tracy G Group doesn't necesarily always make you bang your head - Tracy loves a good, slow, bottom-heavy riff like The Revolution's mighty chorus - it will definitely rock the shit out of you with serious grooves. One of the standout jams is Leech, with an aggressive riff that's reminiscient of Tracy's time with Ronnie James Dio circa Angry Machines. And dig that System Of A Down style break before the solo. Instrumental fans - and those who may question Tracy's range - will surely dig tracks like P.C.H., a tasty driving groove over which he dives and wails in a shreddy, spiritual homage to [one of his idols] Jeff Beck's Freeway Jam, and The California Country Jamboree Funkfest, a nearly 6-minute jam that starts out like a classic Iron Maiden historical epic that suddenly kicks into a sweet riff that calls to mind the effortless fluidity of Blues Saraceno or Buck Dharma. Two thirds of the way in to that track there's some really great funk rhythm action that showcases Tracy's ability to pull out an unexpected style (including some banjo-style licks) and make it seem totally organic to the song. I'm telling you he's got the goods.

The Bottom Line: Fans of Tracy G know what to expect from his latest album, but if you're new to his solo work you're in for a treat. He's simply one of the most criminally underrated artists consistently putting out original, guitar-based music that deftly blends old and new school techniques. 'Nuff said!

- Genghis would love to see the G-Man play live in a small club some day...

Kinlin - The Last Stand

I love when I find a new band, but I'm always a little perplexed when I find out that  they've been around 10 plus years.  The latest band, with these credentials, to kick my ass is Florida's Kinlin.  Kinlin brings the heavy on their latest release The Last Stand.  The band mixes in several influences to create a killer sound.  They are a mix of solid hard rock with a metallic edge.  Think Shinedown and Godsmack mixed with a little Metallica and you would be pretty close.  The Last Stand marks the bands 3rd studio release.

The Last Stand starts off strong with the opening track Wake Up, which is an uptempo rocker with a killer riff that drives the tune.  It has a little bit of a Godsmack feel to it, but with more melody.  The next track to really get my ear was the ballad Forever and a Day.  The song starts off with an acoustic intro before kicking into a very nice melodic guitar harmony.  It has a classic rock vibe to it, that draws you in right away.  The chorus is infectious and will stay in your head.  Great song.

This album is chock full of great tracks and flows very well.  I really like how this band brings in elements of the past and melds them with a new more modern sound.  A great example of this is the killer track Suffer and Pray.  Again, this band is able to create very memorable choruses, that will stick with you for days.  There are a few clunkers on this release, but all in all this is a very solid release from a new band, that ain't so new.  This one's a keeper.

Bottom Line:  Solid hard rock with lots of melody.  This band can bring it.

Standout tracks: Forever and a Day, Wake Up, Suffer and Pray and Stand or Fall

-Ragman is thinking that he needs to dig into to these guys back catalog.

Jane's Addiction - Alive at Twenty-Five

It is hard to believe that Ritual De Lo Habitual is 25 years old.  Damn I'm getting old.  I remember when me and the boys would hit the streets, on a Saturday night, and crank up Stop! and Been Caught Stealing.  Man, those were the days.  That said, this album stands up very well over time and is a bona fide classic, with alternative as well as metal fans. 

Last September Jane's Addiction took the stage at Irvine Meadows, before it was tore down, and performed their masterpiece in it's entirety.  Thank goodness for those of us that weren't able to attend, the band shot this magical performance and have just released it via MVD Visual and Cleopatra.  The band was on fire that night and executed each song with perfection.  As a bonus, they also threw in some other classics to round out their 13 song set.

Alive at Twenty-Five is shot beautifully.  It is one of those Blu-rays that gives you a sense of being in the front row.  The picture is crystal clear and the audio sounds amazing.  The Silver Spoon edition includes the Blu-ray, DVD and an audio CD.  This is a really nice package and is a must for Jane's Addiction fans.

Bottom Line: A fitting tribute to one of the band's stronger efforts.  The band play and sound amazing.

-Ragman has to see these guys live at some point.