International Guitar Month: JIMMY BOWER

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Photo by: by Ronan Thenadey

Photo by: by Ronan Thenadey

If you are a fan of any New Orleans band you should be thanking Jimmy Bower. Jimmy has been one of the forefathers of metal in Louisiana. You may know him from Eye Hate God, Down or Superjoint Ritual. Jimmy is one of the most celebrated guitar players in heavy metal, and while he is a legend on that instrument he is also a well accomplished drummer as well (as you may have seen in Down). Jimmy has often been called “The Godfather of Southern Metal.” If the iconic bands mentioned above wasn’t enough he also had brief stints in the bands Corrosion of Conformity, and Crowbar. Another band that Jimmy has shredded for was The Mystick Krewe of Clearlight. It was an instrumental project so it allowed our ears to consume even more of Jimmy’s sacred sound. Continue reading →

International Guitar Month: RICHIE KOTZEN

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Richie Kotzen Photo Courtesy of TRB Photography

In the world of under-appreciated and often overlooked guitarist, RICHIE KOTZEN is at the top of my list. Born February 3rd 1970 Richie started playing piano at the early age of 5. He was only 7 when he started playing guitar. Richie was discovered by MIKE VANEY of SHRAPNEL RECORDS at age 19. He went on to record his first solo album in that same year. Even though still in his teens Richie also created an instructional video called “ROCK CHOPS”, that detailed his formative techniques. Continue reading →

International Guitar Month: The Ultimate Guitar Experience (Revisited): Uli Jon Roth, Jennifer Batten and Andy Timmons

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In case you didn’t know, it’s International Guitar Month. So, what better time to buy your first guitar? Sites like thesoundjunky provide a list of guitars for all budgets, and you might want to have a look at it if you’re interested in getting yourself a new guitar. In the interest of our continuing coverage of International Guitar Month I attended the last stop on The Ultimate Guitar Experience Tour featuring guitarists David Klosinski, Andy Timmons, Jennifer Batten and Uli Jon Roth in Melbourne, FL. I also attended the second show on the tour in Orlando six weeks ago (please see The Ultimate Guitar Experience) which was my first article for Metal Nexus and what earned my spot on the staff. At the show in Orlando, I got to see the improvisational genius of Andy Timmons and Jennifer Batten due to difficulties with Uli’s band and their temporary work visas. While quite a treat for those of fortunate enough to attend, I wanted to see the show as intended by this guitar master.

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BAND PERFORMANCE TIMES ANNOUNCED FOR MONSTER ENERGY WELCOME TO ROCKVILLE

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BAND PERFORMANCE TIMES ANNOUNCED FOR

MONSTER ENERGY WELCOME TO ROCKVILLE

SATURDAY, APRIL 30 AND SUNDAY, MAY 1

AT METROPOLITAN PARK IN JACKSONVILLE, FL

 

FEATURING MASSIVE LINEUP OF TOP ROCK ARTISTS INCLUDING

ROB ZOMBIE, DISTURBED, SHINEDOWN, FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH, ZZ TOP,

A DAY TO REMEMBER, BRING ME THE HORIZON, 3 DOORS DOWN & MANY MORE

 

ALONG WITH GOURMET MAN FOOD, CRAFT BEER,

TEQUILA WORLD PRESENTED BY EL JIMADOR &

JACK DANIEL’S WHISKEY ROW EXPERIENCE

Band performance times have been announced for the sixth annual Monster Energy Welcome To Rockville, Saturday, April 30 and Sunday, May 1 at scenic Metropolitan Park along the St. Johns River in Jacksonville, Florida.

The destination festival features a lineup including rock icon/filmmaker Rob Zombie, Disturbed (who have returned after a 4-year hiatus with their #1 album Immortalized), Jacksonville’s own Shinedown, Five Finger Death Punch, ZZ Top, A Day To Remember, Bring Me The Horizon, SIXX:A.M., Megadeth, Lamb Of God, and many more. 2016 marks the return of Monster Energy Welcome To Rockville Tequila World Presented by El Jimador and the debut of Gourmet Man Food, Craft Beer selections, and the Jack Daniel’s Whiskey Row Experience.

General Admission and VIP tickets are available for purchase now at  www.WelcomeToRockvilleFestival.com.
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Flea Plays National Anthem At Kobe Bryant’s Farewell Game

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Last night the sports world bid farewell to the LA Lakers 20 year veteran Kobe Bryant. No doubt he will have made some of those using the Indiana Sports Betting App quite a pretty penny over the years and they’ll be sad to see him go – that just makes the search for their next big money-making player to bet on all the more exciting. Thankfully, the NBA is far from short of star players who are more than capable of transforming someone’s small bet into big winnings! The app will undoubtedly become more popular as more people learn of it so you might want to get started now to be ahead of the curve, or learn about other top 10 sportsbooks that are available online. Prior to the game Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist Flea performed the national anthem. Some critics are saying that Flea butchered the song. Fox Sports Nick Schwartz had this to say “the Lakers may wish they had picked a different artist to perform the national anthem. Lakers megafan Flea of the Red Hot Chili Peppers kicked off the night with an inventive bass-only version of The Star-Spangled Banner, and was quickly roasted on Twitter for what some fans are calling the worst national anthem of all time.” We do have to admit it’s a very unique version of the song. Flea has said afterwards “I rocked that shit.” Judge for yourself, and let us know what you think on Facebook! Continue reading →

Odyssey’s Scene: An Interview with Chris Marsh, Promoter for Mayfest (21 May 2016)

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MayFest

A very interesting, behind the scenes perspective on what it takes to put on a large show like Murderfly’s 5th Annual Mayfest.

Odyssey: Hi Chris! Very nice meeting you and glad to have you with us. I know you are very busy with Mayfest and appreciate you taking the time to tell us about the show.

So, tell us a little about yourself as a promoter, Chris Marsh Productions and your passion for Florida music.

Chris Marsh: Chris Marsh Productions was founded on providing the best shows possible with the best bands possible. I have been involved with the local music scene for 17+ years, I’ve toured, I’ve pushed road cases, worked large festivals, have used new music promoter software like Prism.fm, know all the tricks of the trade and have seen and done pretty much everything a true promoter should do, including driving the miles to promote this event.

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State of the Art: Cellador

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*This is part of our State Of The Art series, showcasing bands every Monday from the featured State*

This month’s State is Colorado!

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On this, the second week of our State of the Art: Colorado and in the vein of our coverage of International Guitar Month comes the resurgence of the band Cellador. The band was started in Omaha, NE in 2003 under the name Aposte by guitarist and vocalist Chris Petersen. By 2004 the band had been renamed and released their first, self-recorded demo EP “The Burning Blue”. The following year, they released “Leaving All Behind” which caught the attention of Metal Blade Records who signed Cellador and quickly released “Enter Deception” in 2006. This album was hailed by fans and critics alike, often comparing them to DragonForce and the like. By 2009 this stellar, established band had splintered due to differing interests and desired directions. With only a few original members left and an uncertain record contract, Cellador packed up and moved to Denver, CO, where they remain today, in search of a bigger stage for their musical inclinations. After a five year hiatus, interviewing potential band members to regrow the band, “Honor Forth” was finally released in 2011. This vaulted the band to new heights and put them on festivals, tours and shows with notable bands such as Trivium, All That Remains, Bullet For My Valentine, Marty Friedman, Queensryche, Hatchet, Exmortus, Huntress and many, many others. To date, they have extensively toured the United States, Mexico, Canada and even played the Loud Park Festival in Japan. Taking their time in the studio over the course of 2015 and early 2016, their much-anticipated new release is due out sometime in 2016. With a cohesive, new lineup and management, Cellador is ready to set the world alight once again!

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Joe Stump: Discourse With The Dark Lord

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Joe Stump: “The Dark Lord Rises” (2015)

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In our continuing coverage in honor of International Guitar Month, we have the distinct pleasure of presenting our interview with guitarist extraordinaire Joe Stump!

Hello Mr. Stump! I know you are extremely busy and really appreciate you taking the time to interview with me. It is a real privilege for me to get to speak with someone so inspirational and a personal idol! I have listened to you for many years and look forward to many more!

I would also like to thank you sharing so much of yourself through your music! Being around musicians all the time, I have a deep respect for you, knowing that it is a tough road that involves passion, drive, personal sacrifice and is all too often taken for granted. You have my utmost gratitude! – Odyssey

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Members of Pentagram & Mondo Drag Play Tribute to Merle Haggard!

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Members of the legendary doom band Pentagram and Mondo Drag have paid tribute to fallen outlaw country superstar Merle Haggard. They performed Merle Haggard’s “Sing Me Back Home” in Wiesbaden, Germany April 08, 2016. Bobby Liebling wasn’t at the mic for this song however, it was Pentagram’s legendary guitar player and Tennessee native Victor Griffin belting out the song in Merle’s honor. Of course Griffin is no stranger to the microphone. He is the front man of Place of Skulls, and Victor Griffin’s In-Graved. So 3 parts Pentagram 2 parts Mondo Drag makes for an amazing sound. The line-up for the song consisted of Pentagram’s Victor Griffin, Pete Campbell, and Greg Turley, and Mondo Drag’s John Gamino and Jacob Sheley. Enjoy! Continue reading →

International Guitar Month: JOE HOLMES

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Joe Holmes

Born June 11th 1963 in New Jersey guitarist JOE HOLMES is best known for his 6 year run as the sideman of heavy metal icon OZZY OSBOURNE. What you may not know is that Joe recently experienced a resurgence to his career with his new band FARMIKOS. But more about FARMIKOS later. Let’s start at the beginning and travel the road with Joe that made him one of the best guitarists on the planet.

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