Author Archives: Odyssey

About Odyssey

I have had a life-long love of music, but from the first time I heard Kiss and Black Sabbath with my landlord's son in Nicholasville, KY in the mid 70's, I have been hooked on Hard Rock and Metal. While my tastes in music have done nothing but expand since then, Metal remains closest to my heart. In addition, I have played bass, still play guitar and have literally 1000's of CDs/MP3s, so my knowledge is long steeped and honest. I don't buy the whole splintered, sub-genres thing and choose to like bands and music based solely on individual merits. Obviously, this is always colored by my mood, what I need at any given point and time and what is generally pleasing to my ear. I also don't like to rip any music or band, instead having an open mind and ear for it all because I have a passion for it all. It is completely subjective and in a constant state of flux. Consider me a music "nerd" not a music "snob". As an extension of this love, I hope to share this passion with everyone here and learn from your passion as well! - Odyssey -

State of the Art: Everthrone

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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 South Carolina!

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So we have moved on to South Carolina for our State of the Art series for the month of October. Being the first state to ratify the Articles of the Confederation, the eighth state to ratify the U.S. Constitution and the first state to secede from the Union in 1860, South Carolina certainly holds strong historical significance. Bordered by the Atlantic Ocean, North Carolina and Georgia, S.C. has the 23rd highest population at just shy of 5,000,000 people, 32, 020 square miles and the capital being Columbia. I have been all over this beautiful state and it ranks among the prettiest states I have ever been to. One place I have not been is to, however, is the rural town of McConnells, located in the center of the state, just south of North Carolina. With a population under 500, it is amazing that a band as good as Everthrone can be contained within its borders.

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Death Angel, Michale Graves And A Bevy Of Locals Invade 1904 Music Hall!

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Man, this was a big show! Put on by GoBig Entertainment at the 1904 Music Hall in Jacksonville, FL, eight bands covering about seven hours, making for a great afternoon and night of music! A huge helping of local talent before Michale Graves and freaking Death Angel for those fortunate to get there early and stay late. Walk around and you can have endless conversations with all of the bands as they stand in support of one another. After their sets, this included Michale Graves and Death Angel who both were gracious enough to talk to fans, take pictures and sign whatever audience members brought along. A memorable night with old friends and new!

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As Promised: My Interview With Eternal Voyager’s Brian Blake

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A few weeks back I chose Eternal Voyager as my State of the Art: Minnesota spotlight band.  Killer, old school Heavy Power Metal band that has a very long history in the music business.  I was contacted by Online Metal Promo and was offered an interview with founder/vocalist/guitarist Brian Blake.  So, without further ado, here is what this Metal Master has to say…

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Review Of Opeth’s Epic New Release: “Sorceress”

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Opeth is:

Mikael Åkerfeldt – Vocals/Guitars

Martin Mendez – Bass

Martin Axenrot – Drums

Fredrik Åkesson – Guitars

Joakim Svalberg – Keys

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We are approached by promoters to review new albums all the time. When we were asked if we were interested in reviewing Opeth’s Sorceress that is due out Friday, September 30th, 2016, what were we supposed to say? Is it even legal to tell Opeth “no”? Of course we are interested in the new Opeth album! Please send it along, thank you very much! Couldn’t wait to hear what one of my favorite bands had in store this time around and I have to tell you, it is nothing short of breathtaking! My only hope is that I give Sorceress its due, so let’s move forward with the review…

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State of the Art: Cold Kingdom

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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 Minnesota!

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Well, sadly this week we say goodbye to our State of the Art: Minnesota series for September. I have to say, it has been an absolute pleasure searching for bands to cover this month. I have found tons and tons of good music and wish we had time to cover all of them all. I will absolutely be revisiting some of my other discoveries this month for independent coverage and for additions to my personal play lists. If you are looking for some new material, I would strongly encourage you to do some searching through Minnesota’s Metal scene and discover more for yourself. As we always say: there is always a first time you hear your new, favorite band and the Metal scene will die if it is not supported, no matter where local is. That said, this week I present you with my final band pick: the mighty Cold Kingdom.

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Review Of Steve Grimmett’s Grim Reaper: Walking In The Shadows

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Steve Grimmett’s Grim Reaper is:

Steve Grimmett – vocals

Ian Nash – Guitars

Mart Trail – Bass

Paul White – Drums

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After a twenty-nine year hiatus, Steve Grimmett’s Grim Reaper is back with a vengeance as they prepare to release Walking in the Shadows on September 23rd, 2016 on Dissonance Productions, whom they recently signed on with. This has been highly anticipated for almost a year now and we just recently secured a copy for review. Here’s what I found…

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Interview With Helion Prime’s Jason Ashcraft!

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After recently reviewing Helion Prime here on MN, I was contacted by Online Metal Promo asking if I would like an interview with founding member, guitarist and songwriter Jason Ashcraft. Um, let me think about it… No thank you. Yeah right! Helion Prime has rapidly gained a spot in just about all of my playlists, of course I want to pick Jason’s brain. Who wouldn’t, right?!? Damn, I love my job here!  If you are not familiar with Helion Prime, do yourself a favor and check out Helion Prime and listen to their hard science based Power Metal. When you are up to speed, please read on… (I’ll wait).

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Review Of Italian Powerhouse Icy Steel: “Through The Ashes”

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Icy Steel is:

Stefano “Icy Warrior” Galeano – Guitars and Vocals

Pietro Bianco – Guitars

Flavio “Athanor F.D.H.”Fancellu – Drums

Carlo Serra – Bass

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Traditional and Power Metal fans definitely have something to look forward to on September 23rd when Icy Steel releases Through the Ashes on Germany’s Pure Steel Record label September 23rd, 2016. Spanning two physical disks, thirteen songs and sitting right at an hour, Icy Steel deliver a solid album that will thrill the Metal purist while having a broad enough sound to engage and entertain the new legion of fans recognizing just how right the founders of our genre have had it for over thirty years now.

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Review Of Allegaeon’s “Proponent For Sentience”

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Allegaeon is:

Riley McShane: Vocals
Greg Burgess: Guitar
Michael Stancel: Guitar
Corey Archuleta: Bass
Brandon Park: Drums

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Being a huge fan of Technical Death Metal, I have been listening to Allegaeon since they released Fragments of Form and Function back in 2010. Simply awestruck. I continued to follow them through Formshifter in 2012 and Elements of the Infinite in 2014 as they progressively pushed the bounds of their craft. Their playing and songwriting abilities appear to have no limit. When given the opportunity to review Proponent For Sentience, due out September 23rd, 2016, I immediately got dibs before someone else snatched it from grasp. Thank goodness, because Proponent For Sentience is devastatingly good!

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State of the Art: Maeth

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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 Minnesota!

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Not in the mood for my norm this week. Just not feeling it. Need something different to clean my palette. Something out of my comfort zone. Black Metal? Nah. With a few exceptions, I just shut down. Maybe some good Death Metal then? I found a ton of good bands but I am not really in a bad mood, just tired. Good Death usually calms me down, allowing me to let all the frustration out through the aggressive music. Again, not feeling it. Look long enough and am am sure to find something that strikes the right chord (pun intended), so I continue. Then, bang, in drops St. Paul’s Maeth to save the day.

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