Starr Blazerz Free Album and Some Bad Ass Bands!

Starr Blazerz

Starr Blazerz is record producer Justin Marlowe out of Fredericksburg going by the name of SoundControl and singer songwriter Glen 'Grey' Reynolds from the great state of Texas. What these two have been able to produce is a excellent album that is both creative and extremely listenable. It manages to mix a variety of  music styles into a great listening experience. It is perfect for those nights where you just want to relax with some good music and shut out the outside world.

In July they will be shooting a video for the song Hunted from the album, as well as developing the official album artwork. Until then, the full album is currently streaming on soundcloud, and I encourage you to check it out. 

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Double Fuzz

Here is a great Canadian Blues duo. Double Fuzz is Jon Whitehead and Harvey Warren from Calgary, Alberta. They began cranking out their down and dirty version of full volume blues in 2012, and have not looked back since. 

You have to love a group that suggests that you turn the volume all the way up when you listen to them. They say Louder the better is their motto, and it shows in their fantastically fuzz filled sound.

It is great stuff to rock out to! They do amazing things with just a guitar, drums, and some 12 bar blues.

Their most recent endeavors have been following up their Double Fuzz album with attempting to use Storyhive to produce a professional music video for their single Sugar Mamma. Storyhive is a community powered funding program designed to support artists through $10k production grants and distribution on TELUS Optik TV.

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SYKA

SYKA is a rock band out of NY city, USA. They are known for their "elaborate live performances, stage makeup, and shocking wardrobe." Those are not the reasons I like this group - The reason I wanted to write about them was their sound. 

Their songs like Beautiful Nightmare and Dirty Secrets are wonderful. From the raw lyrics to Jesyka's rebel scream, they make you just want to rock out.

Along with their own modern version of down and dirty rock and roll they have some excellent covers of other great groups such as Heaven Knows by Pretty Reckless, and Trip The Darkness by Lacuna Coil. 

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Thank you for reading and keep listening to good music.

Kevin Sweeney

Breathing Machines In Rome and Old Friends

Stage of Reality Live In Rome

On May 29th 2015 Hard Rock / Metal band Stage of Reality played a huge concert in Rome. It was a "innovative" multimedia show according to Outsiders Music Rome . 

Actor Alessandro Porcu joined the band onstage reading passages from the Writings Corsairs. The intent was much more than a simple rock show. It was a visual and musical journey through the mind of Pier Paolo Pasolini, an important and controversial Italian poet, writer, and intellectual.  

Pasolini was in many ways well ahead of His Time. He perceived the chaos that economic globalization and consumerism has wrought on Italy and the world. Angered by the loss of historic regional dialects, he even wrote many of his poems in Friulian. 

 The works of this iconic Italian Intellectual were the spark that ignited the flame of Stage of Reality and fueled their entire concept album Breathing Machines. Now the band has fused those over forty year old warnings against an Orwellian conformist  future  into a modern stage-show that "is a cry of rebellion," according to Tuttorock . 

The combination of dystopian imagery, critical writing, and Progressive Metal sheds a bright spotlight on our modern world. It Rages against our present day practice of "creating a false global democracy that instead of providing everyone the same opportunities and merits merely unify political thought and eliminate dissent."

Talk about Metal with a Message, Stage of Reality Seems to be on the right path.

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Greg Ball

Last month one of our favorite musical artists just finished the  Rocket Ball Road Show - Rocket Surgery (w / Rueben deGroot) & The Greg Ball Band . The tour took them across Western Canada. 

Thanks to Facebook the wild ride was well documented, and according to the pictures and comments it looks like it was a great time.

As much as it is great to see Greg getting out there and showing the rest of Canada what a good front man he is, it will be good to have him home in Kingston again. His hometown fans are sure to agree with me on that point, not to mention that I still have not been able to nail down a time to go see him live this year yet!

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Keith Muracz

Keith Muracz is an old friend of mine from Manitoba, Canada and he has to be the best musician I have ever met in my life, period. A consummate professional, he has worked tirelessly playing in many different groups such as Terry Spencer Trials , Falling Down, and other Winnipeg based groups.

Both with a smooth blues based voice and an expert talent with a guitar he has created some of my favorite songs of all time (Cocaine Angel and I'll Have Another One for example.) Unfortunately I was only able to work with him for a short time on music, but I have to say that he has been the greatest inspiration for my interest in making music.  

At present he resides in the prairies of Manitoba enjoying a peaceful and wonder filled life among-st the ducks, goats, cats, chickens, dogs, and all sorts of other wildlife country. Do not get me wrong, he still plays. Just sometimes his concerts are for a whole different kind of crowd than a packed stadium or bar. 

Recently he has been putting together a Fender Hot Rod Deluxe "White Lightning" clone he refers to affectionately as "Lightningstein."  

You can find a lot of his music on Youtube. I am listening to his uploads as I am typing this. There is an emotional power that just flows from his playing and singing that is missing from most of the music produced today for mass production.

It is for artists like him that I have started this blog. Hopefully I can bring some light and to these amazing artists that the fame machine have overlooked and enable them to sparkle with all the quality and strength that they exude.

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Well that is it for now. Thank you for reading and keep on making and listening to music.

Kevin Sweeney

  

Our Favorite Rockers and a Free Guitar Album!

Elmo Karjalainen

Do you see that cool looking hairy guy in the picture on the left? You know the one playing the Fender, well he is one hell of a guitarist, and he just released a new CD. If you have read earlier blogs of mine you will probably already know a bit about him but just in case you don't keep reading.

OK, there are several reasons why you should keep an ear out for this Finish guitarists work... 

- First off he is Finish and he plays Metal, and we all know those Finns sure know how to play Metal! 

- plays in Deathlike Silence, Conquest, Seagrave and Helena & Kalevi.

- He has released a critically acclaimed instrumental albums under his own name, called “Unintelligent Designs”, and it's digital EP follow up, called “Unintelligent Leftovers”.

This all brings us to The Free Guitar Album. Yes you read me correctly The Free Guitar Album. As I have stated before I am a big believer in free music. It enables artists to spread the word about their talent and puts people in the seats at concerts. 

“The whole idea was to give people the chance to listen to a whole record of mine, without having to buy anything, pay for a streaming service, or download off some strange site on the net”, says Elmo. The album will be available exclusively from Elmo’s website, http://elmojk.com on the June 11, 2015.

The Free Guitar Album is a great album. Elmo not only manages to entertain his listeners with his fine flying fingers (Instrumetal) on this release but also manages to do so with some humor (Clark-stan). I quite like the tone of his playing, it has a smooth and effortless feel to it.  He manages to prove a talent for bending genres as well as he bends strings.

You can hear hints of Steve Vai in the tone of his guitar, such as in Don't Quit Yer Day Job. It is usually at this point I am reminded that all of the instrumentation on this album except the drums on the track She Sleeps on the Moon is Elmo.

Overall I found the CD to be a quite enjoyable listen. It will definitely be played alongside my other favorite guitarists instrumental albums. 

If you are one of the many of us who strum away on your guitar daily trying to chase that tune in your head or just a fan of great guitar playing you will want to not only pick up this album but follow Elmo Karjalainen online. 

On You-tube he regularly shares videos on his creative work that take you behind the scenes of his playing. If you want to get even more in-depth he publishes a guitar blog that covers everything from what he is listening to his influences for his instrumentals. 

SO ON 11 JUNE 2015 GO GET THE FREE GUITAR ALBUM AT

 http://elmojk.com

In the meantime check out the following videos from previous Elmo Karjalainen projects...

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The KiLLeR DWaRFs

Handstands, tricycles, Hard Rock, and High Energy and it is all coming to Limestone City. That is right The KiLLeR DWaRFs are bringing their kick ass rock and roll act here to Kingston, Ontario, Canada! 

Russ, Darrell, Gerry, and Johnny have been busy touring their headbanging hearts out in support of their Start @ One  album. These guys are busy keeping the rock and roll flame alive, so fan those flames and come on down to The Overtime Sports Bar for some alcohol fueled rock and roll.

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Will Black

Will Black is one hell of a great live singer and musician! He has just began his 10th season performing at Hog Penny Pub in Hamilton, Bermuda. 

Earlier this year he ended his first UK and Canadian Tour. I was fortunate enough to see him live here in Kingston. He is worth checking out if his next tour flies into a town near you.

He is getting set to host the  2nd Annual Will Black OPS: Escape To Bermuda 3 day fan event over the Canada Day Beach Party weekend of June 26 – June 28, 2015 on the beautiful island of Bermuda. It should be an amazing bash full of fun and great music.

You can keep up with Will's plans for his next tour on his Facebook page or his webpage. Until that happens he is constantly posting new material on YouTube . 

Go and check out his sites, he has one of those great classic rock voices that would make singing the phone book a hit record. 

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Alek Darson

Now, onto another one of my favorite modern day guitarists Alek Darson. This guy is simply Incredible on the six string. 

Recently GuitarWorld.com presented the exclusive premiere of Fingers Painted Purple, a new video by guitarist Alek Darson. It is a live performance played on a Wood Guerilla fretless guitar.

If you have not heard his PANOPTICON  EP than go to his website and get it! Recently the French site neoprog said that "It has a unique approach and sound, and his guitar playing is amazing.

Lately I have been checking out his earlier work with the progressive metal band Organized Chaos from Serbia.

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Well, that is what several of our favorite rockers have been up to lately. Thank you for reading and Keep on Rockin'.

Kevin Sweeney

More Damned Good Metal

Lostpray is a band formed in the Ukraine. Last year in spite of all the instability in their homeland these Metalheads pushed forward and produced a hell of a good kick ass album titled That's Why. 

Lostpray has everything that a traditional Metal fan wants; soaring guitars, heavy riffs, pounding drums, and Metallica-esqe vocals. These guys should be much more well known than they are here in the West!

From their Facebook page they have been quite busy since their release of That's Why. There are plenty of rehearsal pictures, live videos, and even a rehearsal cover of the Metal god Dio's classic Holy Diver.

They are signed to Pure Steel Records from Germany who represent such acts as Blood and Iron, Steel Prophet, Warrant, and Halloween. 

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Sonus Mortis is a one man dark symphonic death metal project." Kevin Byrne, a multi-talented musician/songwriter, released War Prophecy just recently this year. It is his second full length album and all instrumentation and vocals are him on this Metal assault. It is a rich mix of unholy anthems that work exceedingly well.

literary themes are easily seen in Kevin's work in songs such as A Pale Reflection, and The Children of Dune. If you want to hear some well thought out and executed Death Metal than crank up some of Kevin Byrne's Sonus Mortis, and Hail Satan!

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Methane is a four piece Metal Outfit out of Sweden. They have a Pantera-esque sound full of piss and vinegar. Tim Scott originally from Revenant, Jim Masterbo former Hell Patrol guitarist, Dylan Cambell, and Andreas Strom combine their talents into the Metal monstrosity that is Methane.

They are gaining great reviews right across Europe and pretty much wherever they end up playing. Last year they gained success with great gigs such as the Metal Inferno Festival in Kramfors Sweden.

Despite their initial release Southern Metal only having three songs on it there has been quite a bit of praise for the EP.  It has been getting reviews such as "3 tunes of just ass kicking metal"

If all this makes you want to hear more of these  headbangers you will not have too much longer to get their first full length album Spit On Your Grave. The Southern Metal masterpiece is due to hit the market this month.

Until then Methane's song Scars and Bars has been on the sound track of an E-novel, H8 Society - How an Atomic Fart Saved the World!! Download it entirely free from BitTorrent at this address

https://bundles.bittorrent.com/bundles/h8society ‪#‎endtheh8‬

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Season of Ghosts are an electroMetal group with a paranormal twist lead by Greek singer-songwriter, Sophia Aslanidou. If you are a fan of Evanescence than you will love this group.

Their album The Human Paradox was released last year and was met with critical acclaim. It has a rich and full sound that features members of the Millennium Orchestra. Sounding like a soundtrack to a sci-fi fantasy film the album leads you through a vast mindscape, propelling you ever forward with Metal force yet at the  same time enchanting you with Sophia's hauntingly beautiful voice.

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Talking about female fronted Metal bands leads me to Sanguine, a British outfit that have opened for the mighty Metal colossus Megadeth.

In 2012 they self produced an EP Black Sheep that displayed their forceful no holds barred sound. Don't let the sweet sound of Tarin Kerrey's sweet demeanor fool you, one listen to the single Black Sheep and and you will realize that this group can definitely rock out.

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Piranha is a Metal band from Minneapolis, MN. You can hear the influence of bands like Mudvayne, Korn, and System of a Down in their style, it gives them a punch that other bands are missing. It is quite evident in their single Dayzed off of their EP Junk Punch which you can find on Itunes

They are busy touring in order to spread the work that they are a high octane live Metal show.

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This next group is bunch of Metalcore musicians hailing out of Bluefield, WV. They are in the running to one of the featured bands on the 2015 Vans Warped tour.   

Curses combines guttural hardcore vocals with smooth pop style singing.  They have a five song EP out called Depth/Distance which you will want to check out. It manages to balance melody and grind into great mosh pit fodder. 

These guys are following in the footsteps of such great groups as Blowsight. I may just have to write a post just on the Metalcore/post-Hardcore scene. In the meantime check out Curses and get a taste of the new shit.

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Believe me there is more but I thought this was enough to keep you busy for now. Thank you for reading and keep that precious Metal flowing.

Kevin Sweeney

Great Rock & Roll for 2015

Remanon, a Prog Rock group out of San Antonio is a band that caught my attention when I began doing this blog. When I heard their song Justice-paige I knew that they were an exceptionally talented group. They have managed to further prove my initial judgement of them by  releasing an excellent album titled Episodes.

Episodes is a wonderfully textured dream that envelopes you and pulls you deeper the longer you listen. Full of sonic twists and turns the EP shows off Remanon's musicianship mastery. It is a product that is worthy of a band with a much longer pedigree than Remanon's few short years.

If you like your rock intelligent and diverse yet still able to deliver it in a palatable manor you must pick up this gem of an album.

Before I give my opinion on Sweet & Lynch Only To Rise I should confess that I am biased. I have been a fan of Micheal Sweet's majestic voice since his meteoric rise to fame with the yellow and black garbed metal band Stryper.

So, here it goes...what do you get when you take one of the best Metal singers of all time, Micheal Sweet (Stryper), join him up with an amazing guitarist George Lynch ( Dokken + Lynch Mob), then add James Lomenzo (White Lion + Megadeth), and Brian Tichy (Whitesnake)? You get one hell of a Rock and Roll group.

This band is a dream come true for all of you 80's Metal fans. The album is a polished hook-filled delight.

Our Future Leaders is an Orlando based rock band whose album We Don't Always Have To Be Machines has been gaining praise for its intricate guitars, heart-pounding rhythms, and emotionally-charged vocals.

I really like the guitar work on this album. There is a good balance between soaring solos and crunch laden rhythms. It is an excellent album to rock out to.

It is finally out! Washington D.C. rock band Thirteen has released their compilation of rock tunes that they have been working on and sharing with their fans.

It has been a project that has been guided by the desire for the band to involve their fans in the production of the final product. By letting the public hear the songs and give their two cents they have ensured that this album is a fan favorite. Now all the Thirteen addicts can get the rock and roll fix that they have been given glances into.

With the guidance of producer Rocco Guarino (STP, Velvet Revolver, Slash) the Thirteen have delivered what they have promised - one hell of a rock album.

Thank you for reading and keep  Rockin'!

Kevin Sweeney

Metal Covers POP and Kills It!

There has been forays into Metal covers of POP tunes before that have failed miserably, but this is not a list of those. Instead I have decided to focus on some Metal Artists that have proven that they can take a radio POP standard and make it even better by cranking up the distortion.

I would be remiss if I did not begin this with the amazing cover of Diamonds by AnyGivenDay. These German Metalheads did what I never thought anybody could do; they made a Rihanna song worth listening to. Their cover is 200% better than the original arrangement.

The contrast of singing and growling works perfectly along with the excellent guitar work and pounding drums. It makes you want to yell out at the top of your lungs  "Shine bright like a diamond."

Next up is the master musician Andy Rehfeldt. This Los Angeles multi-talented artist's hobby is making covers of songs that range from Metal to smooth Jazz. For this article I will be concentrating on his forays into Metal.

Rehfeldt has made too many great covers for me to mention all of them here.  Apart from his Death Metal covers he manages to link the original artists vocals to the songs. Most of them are quite humorous: how could you not get a chuckle out of Mary Poppins singing a Death Metal version of "Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious?" 

He manages to make singers like Kesha, Nicki Minaj, and Katy Perry sound damn cool. Considering how much better he makes several artists sound it is a wonder one of them has not snatched him up to produce an album for them. 

Deniz Sayman is a talented guitarist to say the least. He works with the beautifully sounding singer İzgi Gültekin in producing Metal covers of POP songs.  We are talking everything from the song from Frozen to Lady Ga Ga.

His youtube videos of their Metal covers are quite popular, thanks to the excellent quality of the arrangements and İzgi Gültekin's great voice.   

Check out Sayman's web site and you will see that he keeps himself very busy balancing several music productions at once.  If you really like what you find you can download his songs from his Patreon site.  Hell, you can even get him to play on your band's CD.  

I have always loved to check out Metal covers of other genres of music.  Sure there are quite a few doozies out there but I have always been able to find some that prove that the song sounds better Metal. As I find out more I will keep you informed.  

My fingers are crossed that Weird Al Yankovic will make a Metal album one day. In the meantime check out the musicians I mentioned above.

Thank you for reading.

Kevin Sweeney

Some Killer Stoner Rock

I have to say that I love the reemergence of the 1970's style Rock and Roll.  Gorilla Pulp is an Italian four member heavy stoner Rock band that is an excellent addition to that style.

When they say heavy they mean it.  These guys have a kick ass Motörhead feel to them; we are talking amps cranked to 11 and no holds barred.  

I love the rough and dirty feel to their EP that was just released last December. Titled Hell In A Can, It incorporates both speed and slowness in a fuzz filled intoxicating cloud.

So light the fire in the back forty, fill the cooler with beer, and light up the smokes while you crank the hell out of Gorilla Pulp.

Next up is another Rocking group known as Moses Nose.  They hail from Monterey CA, which I found strange since they have a song called "Kings of Nova Scotia" which is up here in Canada.  Still I can't find anything bad to say about these Rockers.

Their Album The Burning Bush is excellent. As they say "Prepare to Rock or be Rocked upon" when you listen to it.  It is full of great riffs and a straight forward Rock and Roll feel. 

I encourage you to go to their soundcloud page and check them out.

Next up are Nuns Of The Tundra.  These habit forming UK musicians have a smooth polished sound that echos of earlier stoner Rock. They exhibit just enough distortion and fuzz to allow you to slide comfortably right into the pocket.  

Their upbeat catchy sound will get you wanting to groove right along with them.  As it says on their soundcloud page "the Nuns will make it their holy mission to get you moving."  

As I mentioned before I love the resurgence of 70's stoner Rock and Roll, and these nuns make some killer stoner Rock.

Thank you for reading and I hope you keep trying to find new and cool tunes to Rock out to.

Kevin Sweeney