Blairing Out’s Eric Blair recently conducted an interview with legendary OZZY OSBOURNE, QUIET RIOT, WHITESNAKE, DIO, BLUE ÖYSTER CULT bassist Rudy Sarzo at Dimebash 2011, the event celebrating the life and music of “Dimebag” Darrell Abbott (PANTERA), which was held on December 14th at the Key Club in Hollywood, California. Check out the chat below:
Sarzo is among the artists featured on Los Angeles-based hard rock artists Will Wallner (guitarist) and Vivien Vain (vocalist) debut album due out on February 1st.
The album will also feature: Vinny Appice (HEAVEN & HELL, DIO), Carmine Appice (BLUE MURDER, KING KOBRA), Jimmy Bain (DIO), Brian Tichy (WHITESNAKE, PRIDE & GLORY), Derek Sherinian (BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNION, ex-DREAM THEATER), Tony Franklin (BLUE MURDER, QUIET RIOT), and Tony Carey (RAINBOW) providing an all-star backing.
The album was recorded in Los Angeles throughout 2011 and mixed by Gary Tole in New York. Mastering was completed in September 2011 by Graham Goldman at Masterdisk.
Both in their early 20s, Will Wallner and Vivien Vain came to America from Europe to pursue a career in music. After a year of performing locally in Los Angeles they had a chance meeting with Carmine Appice and Vinny Appice at the Rainbow Bar & Grill on the Sunset Strip in 2010. Both agreed to perform drums for their album and since that first meeting the project evolved featuring several other guest session musicians with Will Wallner and Vivien Vain performing all guitars and vocals respectively. Their debut features nine original songs written and produced by Wallner/Vain.
The album cover, pictured above, features Wallner/Vain photographed by Glen La Ferman. A music video for the song ‘Streets Of Rage’ will be released with the album, which was produced in Hollywood in September 2011; a preview can be seen below. Wallner/Vain will announce live dates to promote their album release in the next couple of months. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EkUhO8QXuTk&feature=player_embedded
SIMON WRIGHT, former drummer of AC/DC, DIO, RHINO BUCKET and UFO, will be in northern Italy, for a mini-tour of four dates, in late December and early January 2012. The musician will be presented and accompanied on stage by RIFF RAFF, one of the most enduring and valuable AC/DC tribute bands. Official Partner of the event: AC/DC Italy.
Former DIO guitarist Tracy “G” Grijalva is working on a book that will chronicle his time in DIO (from 1993 through 1999). According to a press release, “The book will talk about everything from his initial tryout for the band, how he got that chance and also the end of the line for him in DIO. G will talk about the writing process, the touring, his feelings on the band and also his own private thoughts about working with Ronnie James Dio during this time.
Commented Tracy: “Actually, I only just come up with some memories and general ideas, but I can hardly call myself a real writer. So I have asked a good friend named Jeff Westlake to do the literary job and put the pieces together. Jeff plays in a band himself and is a big DIO fan, so I guess the book should be cool.”
Tracy recently released a new CD with his band THE TRACY G GROUP called “Controlled Chaos”, available on his own Spooky G Records. Tracy is joined by Johnny B on drums and vocals and Eddie Frisco on bass.
Said Tracy: “I sure hope my old and new fans will like it because there is something from the Tracy G they used to know from the time I played in DIO, but I have also tried to expolore new ways to express myself.
“There are some things I have to say about the guys playing in my band who helped me with the album and without whom all my ideas would have been lost.
“It is obvious that I am not as much in the public eye as I was in the ’90s when I was playing in DIO, so I would like everyone to get to know these wonderful musicians better. Johnny B is on vocals and drums and Eddy Frisco is on bass. They have played with many local bands here in California since they were young. The great thing about them is that they are both very talented and cool people and, what’s more, they have been playing and touring together for many years, so they are real tight as bandmates. Besides working with me, they also play in another band — it’s a cover band called MO50. They are super guys are we are writing more new songs all the time. Currently, we are trying to get some distribution for my new CD worldwide and I hope we’ll be able to hire an experienced booking agent to do some tours next year.”
On the topic of the recently announced reunion of the original BLACK SABBATH lineup, Tracy said, “I’ve always been a BLACK SABBATH fan and I always will — you could probably feel it when [DIO‘s] ‘Strange Highways’ [album] came out where I was trying to do my best to follow up on what those guys did on ‘Dehumanizer’. No matter what they say about Ozzy [Osbourne] and Bill [Ward], I think it’ll be a great because Tony [Iommi] and Geezer [Butler] can be counted on to do wonders and [pdocuer] Rick Rubin is the right man for the job.”
Tracy left DIO in 1999 after he claimed he was “asked to play in a dual-guitar situation” in Ronnie‘s band. According to a posting on Tracy‘s web site, DIO was “looking for more of a Ritchie Blackmore style . . . and wanted [Tracy] to step back and just play rhythm guitar. That’s when [Tracy] knew it was time to leave, freeing him to more diligently pursue his home studio projects.”
Former DIO guitarist Tracy G Grijalva has just currently released a new CD with his group THE TRACY G GROUP called Controlled Chaos available on his own Spooky G Records. Tracy is joined by Johnny B on Drums and vocals and Eddie Frisco on bass.
He is also working on a book that will chronicle his time while in DIO from 1993 through 1999. The book will talk about everything from his initial try out for the band, how he got that chance and also the end of the line for him in DIO. G will talk about the writing process, the touring, his feelings on the band and also his own private thoughts about working with Ronnie James Dio during this time.
For the first time since his departure in 1999 Tracy is putting it all out there for the fans to live through him the experience of being in a band with the biggest influential singer of modern history. He will go through the process of writing, getting ready for the tours and also only things he would know about that time.
Tracy has been busy since he left DIO in 1999 be a part of 23 releases in that time.
Perhaps you know that the Origin of Halloween represents a Scottish variant of the fuller All-Hallows-Even (“evening”). But of course all of us know what’s happening on Halloween and the meaning of “Trick-or-Treat”. And also Halloween is one of those events that has had much of its imagery and background used through rock and metal history, and some bands and artists such as King Diamond and Impellitteri have used the title of Halloween for their songs. Moreover, we have Helloween, a band whose name and logo represents Halloween.
For many of us Halloween is a reminder of some yummy and funny things such Candies, Chocolates, Pumpkins and some horror symbols like Vampires, Frankenstein and Ghosts. This horror part of Halloween was/is really an interesting issue for RockMetal bands and artists to be creative in writing songs about those topics.
Metal Shock Finland’s Chief Editor asked me to be the DJ of the MSF Halloween party, and select for you 10 best songs as the Top 10 Halloween songs. She left no choice and it has to be done! But forget about the number “10” because It’s Halloween and I want to give you my lucky number “13” and let’s hope we will not be trapped or hunted by some Halloweenish creatures!
13. Helloween – Dr. Stein
One of the Helloween’s most popular songs from the upbeat “Keeper of the Seven Keys Part 2” It was written by Michael Weikath and The Dr.Stein single was released in July 1988. It also re-recorded for compilation album “Unarmed – Best of 25th Anniversary“, the new version is in Jazz and Roll though.
I want to put it in the chart and start the party with this song because Helloween and this song are really Halloweenish.
12. Iced Earth – Dracula
From “Horror Show” the sixth studio album of Iced Earth. This time we encounter with horror and a sad story about a Halloweenish demon, the lyrics are lifted straight from the Bram Stoker’s Dracula movie that was one of the best movies in this genre .
The songs and lyrics are written by Jon Schaffer and the style of singing from Matt Barlow is extremely AWESOME.
11. Wolf – Voodoo
Nothing is scarier than when the Wolf is howling upon the mountain in the dead of the night. It sends a shiver through the whole of your body so you could even feel the sharpness of wolf teeth in your flesh. Now Wolf is singing about one of mankind’s most scary horror stories, Voodoo!
This song is from the treasure of chest, “Ravenous” album, and it ‘s written by Niklas Stalvind. His singing style is really great, reminds me of old school heavy metal. Also Niklas studied psychology and I think that was a good basis to help him write a such a great horror song as Voodoo.
10. Megadeth – She Wolf
It seems tonight we have a great thrash song from a golden album by Megadeth here in our party as well, Both the Music and lyrics to She-Wolf is written by Dave Mustaine and it was released on June 17, 1997 on the “Cryptic Writings” Album.
The song starts with a great thrashy riff and it is completed perfectly by a great solo in the end. I believe She-Wolf is the best choice for having some thrash in our Halloween Party.
9. AC/DC – Highway to Hell
“A fucking highway to hell” Angus said when he was asked to describe what life was like being constantly on tour. By all means it’s time to rock with a gem from the Rock&Roll world, the “Highway to Hell” single by AC/DC spent 45 weeks on the German Singles Chart, even though it peaked at only No. 30, in its 19th week on that chart.
The song was written by Bon Scott, Angus Young and Malcolm Young while the main guitar riff was created by Angus Young and it was released in July 1979. But let’s remember Scott who was found dead, in the back of a friend’s car, just over six months after the song was released. R.I.P. Bon Scott.
Yes, let’s listen to a true Horror Metal song. King Diamond is a legendary Heavy Metal band who focus on horror stories and that’s what we need here. When King starts to sing, the whole of your body will be filled with horror and fear and nobody can do it better than the King!
Bye Bye Missy is written by King Diamond on the “Them” album that was released in 1988. This album is a concept album about a young King and his mentally ill grandmother. One night, King investigates strange voices and discovers his grandmother having a tea party alone, with the teacups and kettles floating in the air ….
Time to eat some fire, sent by one of METAL GODS. Tell me what is the most scary thing in this world?! You may agree with my view that it’s doomsday. Jugulator is the 13th studio album by Judas Priest. This album describes for you such a hellish end that you feel those shivers again, yeah, I can hear you whisper!
“Burn in Hell” was released in 1997 as the promo single for their 13th studio album Jugulator and is written by K. K. Downing and Glenn Tipton. A music video was produced for the song. It was shortened down to a little over four minutes.
Burn In Hell tells us about the evil that we do, As Nostradamus predicted the year 2012 will be the end of the world and it’s coming soon! So we are going to blister, BURN IN HELL!
After the doomsday and after we made Hell as our home, now it’s time to bang your head with some Power Speed elements from Germany. Some people call Kai Hansen a Metal God as well, and as he is one of the creators of Melodic power Metal, why not?!
“Hell Is Thy Home” is written by Kai and was released on the “Majestic” album in 2005. You’ll find it as fast and powerful as a Metal song could be plus it has a very dark lyrical concept. And I believe this song is a great example what the band is capable of.
Black Sabbath is another band I can call Halloweenish because of the horror kind of image the name invokes. Many critics and writers mention them as the first Heavy Metal band! They brought some horror elements to Rock music with using some Chromatic and Diminished scales.
“Lady Evil” was released in April 1980 on the golden album of Black Sabbath, “Heaven and Hell”. The exact origins of much of this album’s material is still a topic of debate. And this was the first album after Ozzy Osbourne was fired from the band and replaced with the Legendary Ronnie James Dio, R.I.P. The song has a strong Rainbow feel and is filled by a great Heavy rhythm and great guitar solos.
“We had read an article that someone was working on an artificial heart and that one day everybody is going to have a computerized heart. It talked, in general terms, about how more and more of humanity gets sucked out of the daily life and more and more replaced by machine. It’s not a new thing now, but then it was new. Humans versus machine, was the general vibe of the record.” Wolf Hoffmann explained the concept behind the album and that shows the reason why I chose this one.
The song starts with famous classical theme, Tchaikovsky’s Slavonic March, and continues with an awesome galloping riff, including Beethoven’s Für Elise in the main solo. Metal Heart was released in March 1985 on the album of the same name.
3. DIO – Night People
It’s still sad and painful, and I’m sure many of us need to wipe away our tears when we listen to our VOICE OF METAL, R.I.P. Ronnie James Dio, one of the most talented musicians in the whole of heavy metal history.
Night People is the first track of the fourth DIO album, Dream Evil. The song starts with awesome heavy riffs that make you bang your head from the first moment and the Ronnie’s voice is as perfect as ever. By continuing with that great solo in the middle of the song, the circle of perfection is completed.
2. Iron Maiden – Transylvania
For understanding why I chose this song as the second one in this list, just close your eyes and imagine yourself walking in Count Dracula land, Transylvania, It’s night and you can sense the smell of blood from everywhere. Yeah the Shivers again and that’s because of you are walking on the land where the most scary Halloween symbol, Dracula, lived his life and maybe he’s still somewhere there hiding. :s
Transylvania was released on 14 April 1980 on the self titled album of METAL GODS, Iron Maiden and composed by founder and bassist Steve Harris, which was later covered by Iced Earth on the album Horror Show. The fast and powerful riffs and solos in this song could show you how it’s dangerous and scary, walking in the land, Transylvania!
1. Helloween – Halloween
Listen… take care … In the streets on Halloween, The spirits will arise….
Now it’s time to go back to our most Halloweenish Metal Band, Helloween. The legendary creators of Melodic Power Metal released this long length song on May 23, 1987 on their most successful album, “Keeper of the Seven Keys Part 1”. This album has credits by many to be the birth of Power Metal.
The “Halloween” song is written by Kai Hansen and it is 13 minutes 18 seconds long. The scary and horror style riff, played by the keyboard and guitar in the intro disconcerts you and suddenly starting with a powerful riff, you’ll find out that you are entered to a Halloween party full of Ghosts, Witches, Pumpkinheads, Vampires and … The song keep going and you would like to dance with those creatures but BEWARE … Black is the night full of fright and you’ll be missing the day … And now horror is back again and this is the point that fantasy Rocks horror, you run and scream on Halloween. Now Listen to me again, Keep your praying: “Save me from the evil one Give me strength to carry on I will fight for all mankind’s Deliverance and peace of mind”
At the end of the song you’ll not exist anymore, you’ll find yourself a part of Halloween, singing “IT’S HALLOWEEN, TONIGHT”.
PS: Special thanks to my friend Ali Blackdiamond for help
Bob Ruggiero of Houston Press‘ “Rocks Off” blog recently conducted an interview with powerhouse American vocalist Tim “Ripper” Owens (DIO DISCIPLES, YNGWIE MALMSTEEN, BEYOND FEAR, JUDAS PRIEST, ICED EARTH). A couple of excerpts from the chat follow below.
Rocks Off: How did you hear about [DIO DISCIPLES], and why did you want to be part of it?
Tim “Ripper” Owens: I think with Ronnie [James Dio], he was such a legend and a friend and everybody loved him. When Wendy [Ronnie‘s wife/manager] mentioned that she wanted to do something to celebrate his music, I wanted to be involved. It was a no-brainer, and I was excited. And we wanted to do it the right way, with people that Ronnie would want to do it. He was such a great person, no one nicer in the industry, and vocally, he was the best.
Rocks Off: You’ve already done some [DIO DISCIPLES] shows in Europe. Which song has been your personal favorite to sing?
Tim “Ripper” Owens: That’s tough. There are so many emotional parts in the evening. You know what, I enjoy singing “Heaven And Hell” and watching the people get into it. But emotionally, it’s “Rainbow In The Dark”. It’s a hard one to sing. This feeling just comes out.
Rocks Off: Which has been the biggest challenge vocally?
Tim “Ripper” Owens: “Rainbow in the Dark”! You know, they’re all a bit challenging! (laughs). There’s so much power and light and shade in how he [did the songs]. And he sounded amazing all the way to the end.
Rocks Off: I have to ask, what are your thoughts about founding guitarist K.K. Downing abruptly quitting JUDAS PRIEST?
Tim “Ripper” Owens: Well, you know, I’m friends with all the guys, and that’s what happens. It’s just a shame that they were going to embark on their last tour — though I think they’ve kind of backtracked on it. You know, whatever made it happen, it was probably for good reason, and I wish Ken success. He’s probably got some other things he wants to do, and I wish the band all the success. But when they do end it for good, I hope it’s something with Ken.
Rocks Off: You sing with a number of bands in addition to your solo career. Is the flexibility a good thing?
Tim “Ripper” Owens: You know, they just sent over songs for the Yngwie for the next tour, which starts right after the DIO DISCIPLES tour, a day later! I think you know, may I have a bit too much on my plate! But it is a blessing. I toured solo last year most of the time in Europe and South America, all over the world. But it’s funny that people are always telling me to do more music. I’ve also got a HAIL! tour and new CHARRED WALLS [OF THE DAMNED] album. This is a real job. I just booked 12 shows in Australia for next May!
Rocks Off: So you have no spare time.
Tim “Ripper” Owens: Well, I spend the summer with my family and my wife and kids. The kids are in cheerleading and piano and they’re always running around. I also have a restaurant, Ripper Owens Tap House, in Akron, Ohio. It’s a rocking sports eatery, and we have a lot of acts play like L.A. GUNS, the BULLETBOYS, and LYNCH MOB.
Kimmo Kuusniemi’s ASA unveil the long-overdue release of "Collective Failure" + first music video for title-track! Check it out and stay tuned for more news! Click image to watch the video
Kimmo Kuusniemi’s SARCOFAGUS return with a Historic 2010 Concert Video Premiere on YouTube! Click image to watch the video
Ads
Visionary artist KIMMO KUUSNIEMI's ANCIENT STREAMING ASSEMBLY (ASA) have released “Aurora Nuclearis”, a powerful 12-minute audiovisual experience, dedicated to the Late Keyboardist Esa Kotilainen. - Click image to watch the video
Kimmo Kuusniemi's Ancient Streaming Assembly - 'Perpetuae Memoriae', ft. Tuomas Rounakari + Steve Di Giorgio - Click image to watch the video
ns: I think with Ronnie [James Dio], he was such a legend and a friend and everybody loved him. When Wendy [Ronnie‘s wife/manager] mentioned that she wanted to do something to celebrate his music, I wanted to be involved. It was a no-brainer, and I was excited. And we wanted to do it the right way, with people that Ronnie would want to do it. He was such a great person, no one nicer in the industry, and vocally, he was the best.
Click image to watch the video
Metal Shock Finland (World Assault ) 