 by Matman I have been waiting to see House Of Lords live since their debut album was released back in 1988! Now, 30 years later I finally got my wish... and it was well worth the wait. The mood of this show (both band and audience) was one of pure celebration and appreciation for the homecoming of a band that has 3/4 of its roots in Connecticut. To understand my love for House Of Lords is a study in what I love about music; passion, emotion, solid playing, a lot of melody and an aura of sophistication. This is House Of Lords!!!! The band hit the stage with the elegant track of their second album, Sahara and before anyone could catch their breath it was right into Pleasure Palace, the first song from their 1988 self titled debut. Vocalist James Christian sounded amazing as he moved in and out of the impressive history of the band and had a lot of fun with the crowd. From Rock Bottom, Cartesian Dreams, and Go To Hell, the band took us all on a musical trip through the history of the band, proving their career wasn't defined by their first two albums. Musically, House Of Lords were amazing as well. Guitarist Jimi Bell is as brilliant a player as they come and one of the best guitarist out there. For me it was such a treat to see and hear Jimi playing songs that he wrote and recorded. Drummer B.J. Zampa was full of life and put on a show; always heavy, always loud... but always working for the song, he is the perfect drummer. The 'new' guy, bassist Chris Tristram really held it all together, but was able to show his personality with not only his playing, but his stage presence. The four together looked and sounded as I had hoped... friggin' awesome!!!! From I Wanna Be Loved (their first hit) to Saint Of The Lost Souls, each song just complimented the next and flowed perfectly. More than just the music and performances, House Of Lords had a lot of fun on stage, were appreciative of the fans and respectful to their legacy. The 'classic' moment of the night was when Christian strapped on his acoustic guitar to perform Can't Find My Way Back Home, but because James didn't have a set list near him, he was a song early. Not missing a beat he laughed about it, took off his guitar and handed it to a fan (named Mario, pictured below) in the front and asked him to hold onto it until it was time. A pure 'classic' rock moment that would have destroyed some performances, but here... it just added to it. As a massive fan of House Of Lords and Guiffria (the band that predated HOL), there are of course a zillion songs they didn't play that I wanted; Remember My Name, Million Miles. Another Day From Heaven and Desert Rain to name a few. But that is a testament to their legacy... where their last album SAINT OF THE LOST SOULS is as good as their self titled debut. Thank you James, Jimi, B.J. and Chris for two things... helping me never to grow up and proving the saying 'never meet your heroes' is at least in this case, so wrong!!!
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Opening Act:
Megadeth announce Megacruise Pearl Jam reveals anti-homelessness campaign Stephen Pearcy apologized for intoxicated performance Brian seeing John Carpenter on Halloween Ear Candy: Slash feat. Myles Kennedy and the Conspirators--Living the Dream (2018) The Police--Synchronicity (1983) Six Degrees of Frankie B. Comin Atcha Live: Flotsam and Jetsam Rockversation: Craig Goldy (Part 2) Matt spoke with the Giuffria and Dio guitarist about his career in music as well as his new project, Dream Child. Keep up with Craig at www.facebook.com/craig.goldy, and with Dream Child at www.facebook.com/DreamChildRock. Bonus Track: Snakes in Paradise—Will You Remember Me From the newly-released album Step Into the Light, which is out now on Frontiers Records. Thanks for listening! If you're subscribing on iTunes or Google play, please leave us a review, as it will help spread the word about the show! You can also hit us up on twitter at twitter.com/powerchordspod, and email us at powerchordspodcast@gmail.com.
by Matman
Hey kids!!! I have decided to do a weekly column called 'Odds and Ends' where I will give you some cool tidbits of news involving music, the Power Chords Podcast as well as Brian and I and some of our friends. Please check back every Friday... there will always be something... *If you haven't picked up or listened to the latest album from Uriah Heep, LIVING THE DREAM (Frontiers Music), you are missing out on an incredible new album by one of rocks best!!!! *Speaking of Uriah Heep... I have been spending a lot of time in their catalog preparing for my next book project and wow..... there is some incredible stuff in there... so give a listen!!!!! *Last week I interviewed two amazing guys; Chris Impellitteri and Rob Rock, from Impellitteri. We discussed their new album THE NATURE OF THE BEAST (Frontiers Music) and I can't wait for everyone to hear how cool these two are.... *I've been wanting to see House Of Lords live since 1989 and tomorrow night this will happen, at Bleachers In Bristol, CT! Review and pix of course will follow... *At New York Comic Con, I got to hang out with Darryl (DMC) McDaniels and give him a copy of UFO - YOUR FAVORITE BAND'S FAVORITE BAND. if you didn't know this Darryl is a comic book writer and loves classic hard rock. In fact, he will be helping me with my next book!!!!! The pix above left is us and my artist friend Andrew Edge, cover artist for the UFO book as well as the upcoming ASIA - TIME AND TIME AGAIN. *Michael Schenker Fest is coming back to the United States so if you didn't see them last time... GO NOW!!!! *Classic British rockers Nazareth will be releasing a new album in November called TATTOOED IN MY BRAIN (Frontiers Music) and I think this album is A-MAZING!!!
Opening Act:
Krokus Retiring in their 45th Year Sammy Hagar reveals final album title Saxon celebrating 40 years in 2019 Warrant Oct 18th at the Wolf Den House of Lords upcoming dates Ear Candy: Warrant--Louder, Harder Faster (2017) Dream Child--Until Death Do We Meet Again (2018) Six Degrees of Frankie B. Comin Atcha Live: Helloween at the Worcester Palladium 9/14 Rockversation: Craig Goldy (Part 1) Matt spoke with the Giuffria and Dio guitarist about his career in music as well as his new project, Dream Child. Keep up with Craig at www.facebook.com/craig.goldy, and with Dream Child at www.facebook.com/DreamChildRock. Bonus Track: Uriah Heep--Knocking at My Door From the new album Living the Dream, out now. Thanks for listening! If you're subscribing on iTunes or Google play, please leave us a review, as it will help spread the word about the show! You can also hit us up on twitter at twitter.com/powerchordspod, and email us at powerchordspodcast@gmail.com.  by Matman
In 1988 I was first introduced to Impellitteri through the amazing album, STAND IN LINE, their debut album that featured Graham Bonnet on vocals. Bonnet may have been the reason I got it, but once I heard guitarist Chris Impellitteri play.... I had a reason to stay. Impellitteri (the guitarist) was at the beginning of the shredder movement of players, guitarists who were blazing fast, sometimes fast for the sake of playing fast. But Chris, his band and his songs used the speed and velocity to help the songs, not build songs around the soloing. And now Impellitteri is back with their first new album since 2015's VENOM... called THE NATURE OF THE BEAST! As I start to write my review, having listened to this album a few times from start to end, I am struck by how much is going on in each song. Lyrically and musically each one has its own identity! Sure Impellitteri's playing is the focal point , but vocalist Rob Rock is the perfect partner, being able to match whatever comes his way. Songs like the album opener Hypocrisy, Fire It Up and Gates Of Hell come out with guns of blazing, but it is now, and never was, speed for the sake of speed. Longtime bassist James Amelio Pulli and drummer Jon Dette are amazing, having so much to keep up with and still finding spaces to add their styles and sounds, especially on Wonder World and the cover of Black Sabbath's Symptom Of The Universe. Speaking of Black Sabbath, there is so much of that heavy riffing vibe to this album as well as an almost thrash feel that I don't think I ever heard before in their music. But the album isn't all rippin' and head banging, my favorite song on the album, Man Of War has moments of Dokken and Van Halen in the verses and bridge, then gets real thumpin' in the chorus.. then a trademark guitar solo. The last song on the album, Shine On has some amazing harmony vocals sounding a bit like Stryper... and that is a good thing, especially with its positive and empowering message. THE NATURE OF THE BEAST may be driven by guitar, but that isn't the only thing there... there is so much amazing stuff going on. Chris Impellitteri has always been one of the best guitarists out there and certainly one of the best of the shredders out there, but his true talent lies in being able to make the leads and solos fit the songs. This album has also made me reevaluate Rob Rock as a vocalist, because this guy is amazing and I never really gave him the credit he deserves. If you have never heard him before, he is a cross (at least in my ears) of Kip Winger and former Black Sabbath vocalist, Tony Martin. THE NATURE OF THE BEAST is an album that offers metal fans so much, especially when you least expect it. MATMAN RATING - 4 OUT OF 5 THE NATURE OF THE BEAST will be released October 12th on Frontiers Music s.r.l.
 by Matman When I get a new album from a band I have never heard before, I will always give it a few listens straight through in order. After that I will look for pictures and hit YouTube for some videos to see the band and get a feel for their visual presentation. WOW!!!!!!! Hearing and seeing Manimal are two completely different experiences; the music is amazing and their image is so cool!!!!! Their latest offering, PURGATORIO (AFM Records) begins with the cinematic Black Plague, a song that is heavy, full of power and surprisingly melodic with some some amazing musical moments. I could make this review very easy by saying that about every song because it is true!!!! BUT... that wouldn't give Manimal credit for crafting nine incredibly complex music that all have their own feel and identity. If you want just straight heavy there is Spreading The Dread and Traitor that rocks as heavy as most bands out there, but vocally Samuel Nyman adds so much to the music. Nyman has a voice that soars high above the music with the power of Rob Halford or Geoff Tate, but with a quality all his own. On this album alone he has become one of my favorite singers.... he has all the skills./ Musically, drummer André Holmqvist and bassist Kenny Boufadene are a solid rhythm section that don't just drive the songs, they add so much to them. In many heavy bands, the drums and bass just give the guitarist a backdrop to solo and riff, but not these two. Listen to Denial and Edge Of Darkness and you will hear so much thumpin' and crashin' as they hold it all together. Finally we have guitarist Henrik Stenroos who is so versatile and seems to be able to play it however the song needs it! He can play the Black Sabbath riffs like on The Fear Within and the title track, but when he needs to be Michael Schenker or Wolf Hoffmann (the two influences I hear), he can do it without ease. As far as their image goes, there is a bit of a theatrical element and uniform to their pictures and videos that for me is icing on the cake. Nothing too over the top, but enough to separate them from everyone else. As a music fans who appreciates the showmanship of KISS, King Diamond and Ghost... i LOVE what Manimal is doing! PURGATORIO is an incredible album that allows you to listen from beginning to end because there is no filler... just fantastic music that really contains everything I love in my music; a heavy rhythm, amazing vocals and lightning fast leads... all within a melody. Not a lot of bands can pull all that off, but on this album they do... NINE TIMES!!!! MATMAN RATING - 5 OUT OF 5 PURGATORIO from AFM Records will be released on September 7th. www.youtube.com/watch?v=WS3tQiFRnLE - video for Purgatorio www.facebook.com/manimalofficial/ - on Facebook https://www.afm-records.de/en/m/69-manimal-2.html 
Opening Act:
King’s X Making New Album New George Lynch Project Has a Name Alan Parsons Signs With Frontiers Shout out to Kansas fans Ear Candy: Greg Kihn Band: ReKihndled (2017) Ultraphonix: Original Human Music (2018) Six Degrees of Frankie B. Comin Atcha Live: Kansas at Tarrytown Music Hall in NY (8/17) Rockversation: Robert Barry Matt recently spoke with the musician and producer about 3.2 and the Greg Kihn band. You can follow Robert’s projects at http://www.robertberry.com. Bonus Track: Metal Souls by Destinia From the album of the same name, which is out now. Get it at http://radi.al/DestiniaMetalSouls. Thanks for listening! If you're subscribing on iTunes or Google play, please leave us a review, as it will help spread the word about the show! You can also hit us up on twitter at twitter.com/powerchordspod, and email us at powerchordspodcast@gmail.com.  by Matman About 6 months ago, Frontiers Music announced the formation of Dream Child, a band made up of some of my favorite players from some of my favorite bands! The problem with having an all-star band is the expectations and I was expecting a lot from these guys... putting a lot of pressure to deliver. Well... one listen and Dream Child lived up to my expectations... and then some!!! Dream Child is guitarist Craig Goldy (Guiffria and DIO, bassist Rudy Sarzo (Quiet Riot, DIO and everyone else awesome), drummer Simon Wright (AC/DC, UFO and DIO), guitarist/keyboardist Wayne Findlay (Michael Schenker Group) and vocalist Diego Valdez (Helker). Drawing influence from their previous bands, Dream Child is heavy, melodic and a throwback to a time when music was a full sensory experience, not just listened to. Musically the album is full of amazing riffs, thumping bass, dancing keyboards and crashing drums that hearken back to classic Deep Purple, Rainbow and Whitesnake with some moments of Black Sabbath and UFO thrown in for good measure! Goldy has always been one of my favorite players because he can play it heavy but also incredibly emotional when the song needs it. Vocally is where UNTIL DEATH DO WE MEET AGAIN really takes on a whole new level of excitement. Argentinian vocalist Diego Valdez is amazing... and sounds very much like Ronnie James Dio... a crap ton like Dio, but he also has a lot of originality and depth in his tones. Add to the fact that everyone in the band played in DIO, you kinda get a feel for where the album gets its feel. Album opener, Under The Wire is classic DIO with an incredible build up and fast energy. My favorite song on the album You Can't Take Me Down, Playing With Fire and Game Of Shadows are pure HEAVEN AND HELL/MOB RULES era Sabbath that just rock. For old school Rainbow fans, It Is What It Is sounds like something recorded during the RISING sessions with a hint of Michael Schenker in the solo. The rest of the album is just as solid and is nicely unified and quite balanced. As someone who doesn't just 'listen' to music I am so pleased by this albums overall feel. The production by Goldy and Alessandro Del Vecchio brings out the best in the members and the songs and just has so much open space, never feeling limited, Among the traditional and expected influences there are some progressive King Crimson moments that just make me love the album that much more. The album also has a few 'creepy' moments that give it some theatrics for good measure. UNTIL DEATH DO WE MEET AGAIN is the album we fans of real music and classic rock have been waiting for!!! It's one thing to pay homage to a particular era and style, but it is another to pull it off and Dream Child have not only pulled it off... they have made it fun and exciting again. MATMAN RATING: 5 OUT OF 5 UNTIL DEATH DO WE MEET AGAIN will be released on september 14th on Frontiers Music S.R.L. https://www.facebook.com/DreamChildRock/
 by Matman As I sat in my seat at the Tarrytown Music Hall in New York I was struck by the beauty, elegance and history this venue has. As the hall filled in and the house lights went down I realized the adjectives I used to describe the hall can also describe Kansas... beautiful music, elegance on stage and a history that we were all going to enjoy and revisit together. Billed as the RADIO CLASSICS AND FAN FAVORITES tour, Kansas were stepping away from the full album celebrations like last year's LEFTOVERTURE and upcoming POINT OF KNOW RETURN tours to make it simple... play the hits and only the hits... with some suprises!!!! In my interview with guitarist Zak Rizvi (available now on this site or ITunes), I told him how the last time I saw the band I didn't get to hear my 3 favorite Kansas songs; All I Wanted, Play The Game Tonight and Fire With Fire to which he replied... "come see us on the current tour because you will get all three." Zak didn't lie!!!! On stage Kansas play as one and are the tightest band I have ever seen live. Considering their songs like Carry On Wayward Son, Dust In The Wind and Hold On are so ingrained in our music brains, any change in style, tempo or presentation may have a negative effect, but they play it close to the originals. This is not saying they are cookie cutter in any way because that isn't the case at all. I see many bands go through the motions when they perform... and Kansas isn't one of them. In the three times I've seen them live, each show is better than the last one and that isn't an easy thing to do, because they have set their own bar so high. The lights, the music and the personalities in the band all add to the magic that is Kansas. Kansas treat the stage as sacred, the audience as family and the time together as very precious. As I mentioned above the set list is a run through their history; all songs that are favorites of their fans from their debut album KANSAS (that featured drummer Phil Ehart and guitarist Rich Williams), 1986's POWER (bassist Billy Greer's first with the band) right up to 2016's THE PRELUDE IMPLICIT that introduced vocalist/keyboardist Ronnie Platt, keyboardist Dave Manion and guitarist Zak Rizvi to the legacy that is Kansas. Helping to bridge it all together was violinist/guitarist David Ragsdale who since 1991 has been providing the most recognizable and unique element to the bands music. There is something about Kansas and their music that keeps people coming back. My three times seeing the band is laughable compared to other 'Wheatheads' who have seen the band over 100 times. In the audience were a lot of teens who were drawn to the band by their cool parents or the show SUPERNATURAL. What impressed me about these kids (and gave me hope for the future) is that not only were they singing along to Carry On, they were also singing word for word What's On My Mind and The Wall. That is good parenting, folks! As the show began to wind down I found myself thinking how I couldn't wait to see them again in Worcester, MA in November. If you scroll down on this site you will find two other reviews of Kansas shows I wrote and you may find a similar tone... because I'm struggling to find another way to say that Kansas is the best band I have ever seen live, and this show was the best of all of them. Do yourself a favor, check the website for a show near you... and go!!!! You will thank me later, I promise. http://kansasband.com/tour-dates.php
Opening Act:
Jill Janus dead at 43 New Suicidal Tendencies album and tour drop September 7th Stryper’s Oz Fox Suffers Seizure Is AC/DC working on a new album? Ace Frehley’s new album details Glen Hughes tour Ear Candy: Badlands (1989) Primal Fear: Apocalypse (2018) Six Degrees of Frankie B. Top of the Pops: Top 30 Billboard Mainstream Rock Songs--August 19, 1989 Rockversation: Zak Rizvi Matt recently spoke with the musician and producer about joining Kansas and his work on The Prelude Implicit. You can follow Zak’s projects at www.facebook.com/Zak-Rizvi-Music. Bonus Track: Primal Fear--King of Madness Thanks for listening! If you're subscribing on iTunes or Google play, please leave us a review, as it will help spread the word about the show! You can also hit us up on twitter at twitter.com/powerchordspod, and email us at powerchordspodcast@gmail.com. |
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