Tag Archives: Louder Than Life

JOYOUS WOLF’S Greg Braccio “I Don’t Think There Should Be Perfection In Rock, It’s Suppose To Be Flawed” [Video]

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A gritty howl opens Joyous Wolf’s upcoming debut LP, ‘Enigma’, and it’s the perfect introduction since the band plays rock & roll at its most primal and passionate. Formed in 2014 guitarist Blake Allard’s bluesy riffs harken back to the classic hard rock of AC/DC, Cream and Deep Purple while still packing a thoroughly modern wallop, while front man Nick Reese’s voice seems to come from deep in his gut as he sings about everything from warring kingdoms to a tribute to a fallen friend. Together, with bassist Greg Braccio and drummer Robert Sodaro, Joyous Wolf’s members work together to create some of the most exciting, promising and unwieldy back-to-basics rock to come out of Southern California in recent years. If you have been searching furiously for a band that has a throwback sound that truly shows old school influence while also adding modern elements to their sound to remain fresh, vibrant and unique then look no further. Joyous Wolf played a major role on several fall rock festivals this year, being one of the only unsigned bands to grace the stages from Kentucky to California. I have no worries that this band will soon find a label with their huge booming sound, it’s impossible to hear their music and not fall in love.  Continue reading →

Ron DeChant Of STARSET “We’re Not Like Other Bands Where We Just Kinda Throw Things Out There”

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Photo Credit: Coda Photography

 

On January 1st, 2013 a transmission from a star in the Ophiuchus Constellation in the year 2047 was received containing a warning of the fate of the human race. It is said that Dr. Aston Wise of the Starset Society recruited Dustin Bates, Ron DeChant, Brock Richards, and Adam Gilbert, collectively known as Starset, to spread awareness through music and media. The Columbus, OH quartet quickly gained notoriety on YouTube with the release of their first single “My Demons”, which has well over 280 million views, as well as two albums under their belt – ‘Transmissions’ (2014) and ‘Vessels’ (2017). According to their (fictional) background, they aim to spread the contents of “The Message” to the general public through demonstrations (‘shows’ to you and me). They have been summoned by The Starset Society in an attempt to save the human race from its imminent demise, foretold in a transmission that was received in Northern California on New Year’s Day 2013, along with required knowledge of how to avoid such a travesty. The band’s founder/vocalist/keyboardist, Dustin Bates, acquired his Master’s degree at Ohio University, fueling his interest in astronomy and hopes to spread knowledge of science and engineering as well as “The Message”. He says:

“Kids are coming to Starset shows and getting scientific thinking, but they’re just looking for rock,” He states. “The science is sci-fi and hyperbolic at times, but I think it can inspire kids into real science and engineering – and I hope to.”

Starset have crafted a unique way of blending the self-proclaimed “cinematic rock” and ambiance with a bit of djent-style metal. The onstage imagery of the space-like suits donned by the band and the futuristic technology used by Bates during these ‘demonstrations’ really strengthen the band’s backstory, while offering fans a different way of enjoying a show – learning.

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The Bucketlist with RADKEY [Video]

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*In this series we pose the age old questions to a wide array of music lovers. As fans of music most of us keep a mental list of active bands we want to see live that we haven’t yet seen. The Bucketlist brings to you those lists of your favorite artists and why those bands mean so much to them*

Missouri rock trio, Radkey, has been making waves in the music scene since their start in 2010.  Besides opening for national acts such as Fishbone, The Offspring, and Black Joe Lewis, they’ve played some of the biggest festivals the country has to offer and if you’ve had the opportunity to see them live, you know exactly what kind of raw, authentic party these guys deliver. Continue reading →

Ben Flanagan of BLACK MAP On The Location Of A Video Shoot “There Were Just Tubs Of Lube Everywhere.”

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Black Map

 

Black Map has been making the rounds this year on the festival circuit. This years Carolina Rebellion was actually one of the bands first festival appearances of the year. We were there to see their dominating performance and the fans there loved them just as much as we did. Again we were able to see them at Chicago Open Air in July and once again they were one of the most dominating bands of the day. The alt metal trio unleashed their first songs in 2014. First, their 4-song EP titled ‘Driver’ was released in February and all 4 songs were included later on that year on their first full length album ‘…And We Explode’. They put off a heavy 90’s rock vibe with huge, blasting riffs and raw emotion all packed into one punch. Last year the band made a large breakthrough with the premiere of a new song “Run Rabbit Run”. This song took the airwaves by storm and told us to get ready for 2017 because Black Map is quickly on their way to the top. ‘In Droves’ dropped across the US on March 10th via eOne Music. The album was produced by Aaron Hellam at Hellman Sound. Consisting of members from the bands Far, The Trophy Fire, and dredg, the band does a solid job combining all of the project’s sounds into one. Continue reading →

Jake Kiszka Of GRETA VAN FLEET On Their Song Being Featured On Shameless “This Better Be In A Sex Scene”

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Photo Credit: Sean Murphy Photography

 

By now Greta Van Fleet should be a household name to anyone that even remotely listens to rock and metal. If the band has somehow not made it on your radar let us catch you up. Greta Van Fleet– which took its name from one of the close-knit community’s town elders – is a hard rocking quartet whose creative ambitions and achievements reach far beyond the ages of the four band members, not all of them old enough to have voted in last November’s election. The band includes brothers Josh (vocals), Jake (guitar) and Sam Kiszka (bass, keyboards) and best friend drummer Danny Wagner (Who I also must add is an accomplished golfer) – are dedicated to bringing real rock’n’roll back to the mainstream. The band delivers high-energy, sweaty, rock’n’roll loaded with attitude and bravado that exemplifies each band member’s killer musical chops and Josh’s simply jaw-dropping voice. Greta Van Fleet bring back a throwback kind of sound that most old school metal heads thought was gone forever. The band has been kicking down doors of venues all over the country and gracing stages at dives and renowned venues. Their four-song debut EP ‘Black Smoke Rising’ was released on April 21, and the group deftly straddles the line between timeless and future, sounding at once like many things you’ve heard before and also something you’ve never heard before. Some have even referred to the band as America’s next greatest rock band. The band doesn’t have an intense history or discography to tell you about as of right now. Greta Van Fleet is currently making their own history and you can be a part of the crowd when they take the stage in your area. Pick up their record because it’s an instant classic…mark my words.  Continue reading →

Andrea Ferro Of LACUNA COIL “Metal Today Is Wider Than It Has Ever Been” [Video]

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Lacuna Coil is currently on their 20th year together as a band. They have been a dominant force in the gothic metal and the godfathers of Italian metal. The band released ‘Delirium’ in 2016 their 8th studio album, which was a concept album of sorts. Lacuna Coil just wrapped up a co-headlining tour with Epica and we happened to see them on that tour (see review here) and then we also had the opportunity to witness the band again at this years Louder Than Life Festival in Louisville, Kentucky.  Continue reading →

Louder Than Life Spotlight: EAGLES OF DEATH METAL

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*Every Tuesday and Thursday from now until Louder Than Life gets here we will be releasing an article about a band playing the festival to get you familiar with them.*

Today’s Artist is Eagles of Death Metal

Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the past few months, then you’ve definitely heard of the monstrous lineup at this year’s Louder Than Life.  It seems this year’s roster has just about everything you’d need to satisfy a hard rock/metal lover – the scary sounds of Rob Zombie to the more melodical likes of Incubus.  But there’s one band that brings a little something different to the table of which their drummer, Josh Homme describes as “bluegrass slide guitar mixed with stripper drum beats and Canned Heat vocals.”  Ladies and gentlemen, Eagles of Death Metal. Continue reading →

Louder Than Life Spotlight: NEW YEAR’S DAY

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*Every Tuesday and Thursday from now until Louder Than Life gets here we will be releasing an article about a band playing the festival to get you familiar with them.*

Today’s Artist is New Year’s Day

This year’s Louder Than Life lineup is already understood to be one of the best rosters the festival has hosted to date.  I mean, how can you go wrong with Rob Zombie, Prophets of Rage, Incubus, and the Prince of Darkness himself, Mr. Ozzy Osbourne?  You can’t.  You can only add to it by throwing in bands that rock just as hard, although they might not be as widely known as our bat-biting leader.  There are a ton of bands from this year’s roster that fall into this category and New Year’s Day is one of them. Continue reading →

Louder Than Life Spotlight: AS LIONS

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*Every Tuesday and Thursday from now until Louder Than Life gets here we will be releasing an article about a band playing the festival to get you familiar with them.*

Today’s Artist is As Lions

Louisville, get ready for a well-deserved dose of pure hard rock when As Lions take the stage at Louder Than Life!  These London, England rockers have a good old fashioned rock sound that is, at times, blended with metal and some alternative, making for a good foundation to deliver a fantastic live performance.  If you’ve not gotten a chance to see this quintet live, Louder Than Life will be the perfect chance! Continue reading →

Louder Than Life Spotlight: RADKEY

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*Every Tuesday and Thursday from now until Louder Than Life gets here we will be releasing an article about a band playing the festival to get you familiar with them.*

Today’s Artist is Radkey

There are a lot of bands in the hard rock/metal community that consist of siblings – Vinnie Paul and Dimebag Darrell of Pantera, Chris and Willie Adler of Lamb of God, Max and Igor Cavalera of The Cavalera Conspiracy/Sepultura, and Michael and Chris Amott of Arch Enemy, to name a few.  The same applies for the Missouri trio, Radkey.  The band is comprised of three home-schooled brothers that bring a punk-inspired rock sound that at times, is quite aggressive but contrasts well with the more ‘toned down’ tunes in their arsenal. Continue reading →