Canada’s The Metal Voice is shooting a mini documentary tour diary of RIOT V on their current North American tour dates, titled ‘Riot On The Road”.
The Metal Voice producer Jimmy Kay had to say, “Riot has always been an underdog Hard rock band with so little documentation of who they are, what they have accomplished and how their legacy continues on. Now fans will get finally get look into their musical lives.”
Giles Lavery co-producer of the project also added,“This will be a behind the scenes look at the tour , including interviews and a lot more… so come on down to the shows we want you in the film”
Riot V will be playing a number of North American tour dates this summer in support of the lastest album Unleash the Fire that was released in 2014
The Metal Voice last produced the Graham Bonnet Documentary diary titled “ALL day and all night long” which followed the The Graham Bonnet Band on their U.K. tour.
Riot V North American Tour dates:
Friday, July 8 – Chicago, IL @ Reggies
Saturday, July 9 – Detroit, MI @ Token Lounge
Sunday, July 10 – Toronto, CA @ The Rockpile
Saturday July 23- Bar XIII, Wilmington, DE, US
Sunday July 31 – Elbo Room, San Francisco, CA, US
Jimmy Kay and Alan Dixon from Canada’s The Metal Voice recently spoke with Accept guitarist Wolf Hoffmann about his new classical solo album entitled Headbangers Symphony which was released on July 1st 2016 on Nuclear Blast
On the release of his new Classical/ Metal solo album that was ten years in the making
”I’m super duper excited, I couldn’t be more excited to be quite honest. It’s been in the making for a long time finally presented to the world. My favorite pieces on the album are the first two tracks ‘Scherzo’ and ‘Night on Bald Mountain’ and that’s maybe why I put them at the front of the cd. I think they turned out to be really metal . They were pretty aggressive and in your face and seemed to be perfect openers for this album. This album is just a random collection of some my favorite classical tunes.”
“With a lot of these pieces I take the main theme and start playing it on electric guitar and see how it feels and then I try to think what else I can come up with that sort of makes sense to me. I try to say to myself what would I do this if it were my idea and then I just go crazy and see what other riffs fit that mood and what other stuff I can come up with that sort of would make sense to me and then I treat it as my own piece in a way. The only big difference between the previous classical solo I did was that I am using orchestral players on this album. I hired a full blown orchestra in the Czech Republic. It turned out great and it was well worth the effort and the money time spent.
When asked if Accept would even consider doing a symphonic recording
“You never know I wouldn’t rule it out at this point. I’ve always said no but now that this album is out and sounds quite heavy and I see how well heavy guitar riffs and orchestra really blend together. I’m really encouraged to go there one day to play some orchestral stuff with Accept, you never know. ”
“One thing is for sure I would definitely like to perform this classical stuff with an orchestra live somewhere on stage. On time special occasion gig some where the whole material with an orchestra on stage with a big production, light show. That’s what my dream is, I can just picture it in my head and i would love to make it come true.”
On how Brexit will affect metal bands
“Well it will make things a little more complicated getting in and out of the country for example if you are planning on doing a UK tour in the future , you will probably have to get work permits and visas and things like that and have to deal with customs and you have to pay hefty fees to get some lawyers, some immigration people to work on it, it’s just a pain. The EU did away with all of that so it was beautiful you can do a whole European tour and not have to worry about anything you just go from country to country , without any paperwork any proof that trouble.”
Jimmy Kay from Canada’s The Metal Voice interviewed Hank Shermann guitarist Denner/Shermann (Mercyful Fate). Shermann spoke about the new album, the tour set list (which will include Mercyful Fate songs) a possible reunion and album by Mercyful Fate in the future and why Mercyful Fate broke up after Don’t break the Oath album.
Denner/Shermann will be releasing their first full length album called ‘Masters of Evil’ on June 24 on Metal Blade Records.
Shermann told The Metal Voice about the evolution from their E.P. Satan’s Tomb to their new album Masters of Evil, “We have developed a style. With the E.P. it was fast in the making. Having Sean Peck on vocals I had to learn his areas of singing. For the album we had 8 songs that we created with a different vibe more deeper layered, a little more epic and there is not one song that is the same, that’s the same recipe we used back with Mercyful Fate.”
Shermann went on to tell The Metal Voice about a potential Mercyful Fate reunion, “I don’t see why not, no doors have been closed. Michael and I are really busy with the campaign of the new album(Masters of Evil), King is touring Europe right now, he’s going into recording mode doing the next King Diamond album. With so many dedicated loyal fans out there screaming at us we want a Mercyful Fate reunion. I don’t see why not. Both bands are playing Mercyful Fate material so we are getting a little closer to that dream of seeing Mercyful Fate back together again.”
Shermann concluded,”King is in Copenhagen these days and I spoke to him a few weeks ago he is strong, he is getting ready to release another King Diamond album and who knows maybe that leads up to a Mercyful Fate album. That could be a fascinating thought, could be pretty cool for everyone I think. “
Jimmy Kay from Canada’s The Metal Voice interviewed critically acclaimed Rock author Martin Popoff about his new YES book “Time and a Word” Popoff talks ‘Yes’ history, the Breakups, Reunions, the albums and side projects.
Popoff told the Metal Voice, “The roots of progressive metal itself are definitely Rush. Rush I think is the first progressive metal band. Yes is probably the band that is the precursor, the proto progressive metal band. A little bit of Yes, a little bit of King Crimson, little bit of Genesis. A lot of metal people like Yes and they like prog in general.”
Popoff went on to say, “In 1972 Yes came out with Close To The Edge. I was thinking at one point I might do a book of the top 500 progressive rock albums of all time. And I started taking a poll. As I was taking that poll, it basically turned out that Close to the edge would win that poll. Basically Yes Close To The Edge is the greatest progressive rock album of all time.”
Popoff also spoke about one of the most famous projects that never went got going, the supergroup XYZ which included members of Yes and Led Zeppelin, after John Bonham’s death. Popoff said, “Basically in this book I cover off quite a bit of detail all the side bands of YES, including ASIA and all the solo projects of everybody. But one that didn’t get off the ground is this XYZ situation. They (Chris Squire, Alan White, Robert Plant and Jimmy Page), did do a little bit of jamming trying to get things off the ground. But it just didn’t really go anywhere, Robert’s heart and head really wasn’t really into it. Jimmy was a little more game into trying to do something with it. You can hear some of these sessions online. I believe a bunch of this is on Youtube. A little bit of those songs (don’t quote me) which show up on later projects possible the firm and later Yes albums.”
Singer David Reece (Bonfire former Accept) joins Jimmy Kay on Canada’s The Metal Voice to Review Babymetal’s new album Metal Resistance as well as debate if Babymetal is helping or hurting the metal community.
Reece had this to say about their new album, “I will say the guitars are brutal in places, I don’t know who is actually playing them but there are some cool riffs and cool tones. The drum programming is from another planet, whoever he is, he’s got fingers like lightning bolts but some cool programs and the mix is ok.”
Reece went on,“The vocals reminded me when I was a young lad and my mother would hand me Alvin and the Chipmunks records for Christmas, that high squeaky voice I thought was cool when I was 5 years old. Maybe that’s why they call it Babymetal. I don’t know but after listening to the album throughout the day and giving it my honest ears and try to be optimistic and open-minded. I felt like shoving a dagger into my eyeball. Maybe this will appeal to the mass majority crowd of Metalheads somewhere in the universe that like to look at Japanese women in French maid outfits or whatever it is they are wearing and working in synchronization on stage. But I call this a fad and a gimmick like the grunge movement and like grunge I hope and pray this movement eats its young and it ends sooner than later.”
For fans of melodic hard rock, the name David Reece will be a familiar one. Since bursting onto the scene as the then new front man for German legends Accept, David has released no less than 15 full-length recordings and appeared on numerous more. His diverse catalog encompasses his early 90’s success with Bangalore Choir known for their MTV hit “Loaded Gun”, the powerful modern metal project Sircle Of Silence, numerous solo releases and most recently David has been fronting another legendary German act… Bonfire.
Well known for his powerful voice and dynamic stage performances, this new project has the same brand of musical quality stamped all over it.
David Reece has joined forces with Mario Percudani in exciting new hard rock project called R.P.G.
Jimmy Kay and Alan Dixon of Canada’s The Metal Voice recently spoke to legendary German guitarist Michael Schenker who just released a live DVD/CD called Michael Schneker’s Temple of Rock“On a Mission: Live in Madrid”
When asked about the making of his new Live DVD CD “On a Mission: Live in Madrid”
“The record company had an idea of making a 3D (sound) listening. I picked Madrid because I always wanted to make a live album in Spain because the fans are playful and very enthusiastic. Later I found out we could not even fix anything because in 3D listening effects you put ambient microphones everywhere and if you try to fix something you still hear the wrong notes, there was something I wanted to fix but I couldn’t so I left it the way it is. We had a really good night, We played well together, the audience was great and it was a great result, no hanky panky.”
When asked about the Michael Schenker fest at this years Sweden Rock Festival
“Michael Schenker fest having Gary Barden, Robin MCauley, and Graham Bonnet there and the original Assault Attack rhythm section line-up. This is the beginning of something bigger to come because I want to take things to the next level. I want to perform my past and present with the original singers and so the newcomers can experience the way it used to be and so that means bigger venues, bigger shows.”
When asked if he would ever record another album with Graham Bonnet
“That is a possibility.”
When asked if he would ever consider recording with the Scorpions
“No I can’t because I am very disappointed in Rudolf, what I found out about Lovedrive (Deluxe edition) bio. I was 23 when I finished with UFO, when Rudolf found out I had left UFO and Mathias who just joined could not do the album with the Scorpions to their liking, they asked me to help out. I came over and when I finished my work on the Scorpions Love drive album they didn’t want to let me go, they got rid of Matthias. They basically persuaded me to be in the Scorpions after the Lovedrive recording and all the management in America they were all very interested in wanting to sign the Scorpions. I started touring but after two weeks I could not do it I went away and was too shy to confront them I couldn’t do it . My brother found me he called me back he cried on the phone and it was so embarrassing I came back a second time and after the second time I realized, this is not it . I need to stop this and I went away again. I found out they got Matthias back.”
“Later I get a phone call from Rudolf if I would let him play my black and white guitar design, I said okay. He also asked me if I would give him the song writing credit for Coast to Coast, all the melodies were written by me and I didn’t pay attention. I was the six part (member) of the Love drive album and I have a contract everything was divided by six.”
“So when they approached me just recently for the Scorpions (Lovedrive ) Deluxe Box I found out that they put a bio out that was completely the wrong story. I found out there was nobody credited for what I wrote on Holiday, it’s the intro to Holiday 45 seconds long, that intro that I wrote. And then Rudolf asked me to give the melodies for Coast to Coast. And those two things were the most tastiest and the easiest parts to copy because Rudolf is not really a great guitarist. And all the managers finding out they wanted to sign that band the Scorpions that I was part of I guess he figured how he can misrepresent and fool people all these years because I didn’t pay attention until just recently. There was not a picture of me on Lovedrive, there was no mention on Holiday who wrote and played that intro and of course Rudolf persuaded me to give him the Coast to Coast melody. I must say I am now finding out more and more weird stuff about Rudolf. I have to stay away from him and I can’t trust him anymore period.”
Watch the interview here:
Joining Schenker at the show were Doogie White (vocals), Herman Rarebell (drums), Francis Buchholz (bass) and Wayne Findlay (guitar, keyboards).
“On A Mission: Live In Madrid” track listing:
Disc 1:
01. Ocean Odyssey – Intro
02. Doctor Doctor
03. Live And Let Live
04. Lights Out
05. Where the Wild Winds Blow
06. Natural Thing
07. Before The Devil Knows You’re Dead
08. Victim Of Illusion
09. Lovedrive
10. Coast To Coast
11. Vigilante Man
12. Rock My Nights Away
Disc 2:
01. Saviour Machine
02. Too Hot To Handle
03. Only You Can Rock Me
04. Lord of the Lost and Lonely
05. Rock You Like A Hurricane
06. Rock Bottom
07. Horizons
08. Attack Of The Mad Axeman
09. Communion
10. Blackout
Disc 3:
01. Searching For Freedom – Outro
Bonus Materials
* Rehearsal
* Before The Show
* Soundcheck
* Individual Interviews With Each Bandmember
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