If you are a fan of kick ass heavy rock – in the vein of classic W.A.S.P., Rogue Male, Motörhead, and vintage KISS – then the newly-formed WOLF CHAMBER is a must-hear, especially their newly released song “Forest of Darkness”. Comprised of Ed Gage (lead vocals and rhythm guitars), Dave Starr (lead and rhythm guitar), London Wide (bass), and Josh Foster (drums), metal fans will be familiar with its members’ previous work, with the likes of WildeStarr, Steelwitch, Vicious Rumors, and Chastain. And a free download of “Forest of Darkness” is available below:
“Like many musical relationships these days, Ed Gage and I met via the internet – Facebook to be exact,” explains Starr. “He was a fan of the work I have done over the years with WildeStarr, VR, and CHASTAIN…. and we struck up a friendship. I checked out some of his songs on YouTube, and found one that intrigued me. What I heard was a very rough demo version of ‘Forest of Darkness.’ I contacted Ed and asked him if I could do some work on the song to make it better, and he was very receptive to my ideas. Most people are very protective of their songs and ideas, so to be honest I was expecting Ed to tell me HELL NO. I really had no idea what I was going to do, but to make a long story short, in my spare time over the next few months, I basically re-wrote all of the music and re-structured much of the vocal parts to accompany the new music. I presented ED with a rough demo of my new changes and he loved it!”
“While WildeStarr took a short break from recording CD # 4, I had Ed record his vocals and guitars parts out in Los Angeles and sent them to us here in Texas. I recorded my guitar parts here in the WildeStarr studio, and WildeStarr singer London Wilde played the bass. WildeStarr drummer Josh Foster recorded his drum tracks for us out in San Francisco, and he also mixed and mastered the song. What we have in ‘Forest of Darkness’ is a stripped down, brash, rock n’ roll tune. It’s sort of Motorhead meets Rogue Male meets classic W.A.S.P. and KISS. There is none of the sophisticated polish that people are used to hearing from WildeStarr, I did not want to do that. Its loud, obnoxious, and in your face with all the bumps and bruises that rock n roll is supposed to be about. It’s made to be played LOUD. We had fun doing this and hope you like what you hear!”
Gage also explained his side of the story. “It’s a crazy way how this project all came together. I relocated to Los Angeles in the summer of 2017. I began working in the film industry as well as recording music. Almost a year later, an episode I had worked on of the HBO show ‘Westworld’ aired, which I ended up having a lot of screen time on. After, I got a lot of attention from it – I received an unexpected message from the man himself, Dave Starr. I had told him that I had enjoyed his musical contributions to the band Vicious Rumors. While we were in conversation I had told him that I also was a musician myself, and the topic came up of possibly collaborating on music. Fast forward almost a year and a half later. Here we are with a new project and a debut single! And here’s to many more recordings to come!”
Thanks for taking the time for the interview. I must admit, I’m not really a fan of female metal singers except for a couple (Doro and Angela Gassow). As for me anyway, they sound the same, use the same operatic style or just don’t have the balls to sing metal. That is until I heard the first track “Immortal”. This is absolutely one of my favourite songs of the year and London is now my favourite female singer. So my question to London is not only who your influences are but do you consciously try to separate your tone from other female singers? And if so how did you accomplish this?
London: Thank you for the amazing compliment! My main influences are Ronnie James Dio, Geoff Tate and Rob Halford. Those were the voices I admired for their power, tone and control. There were no female vocalists singing in this power metal style that I knew of when I started out, and I always wondered why. There is such a stigma to the female voice in metal, that yes, in the beginning I did not want to be compared to them at all! I tried to mask all femininity in my voice at first. That made me a terrible singer. It wasn’t until I embraced my voice as not male or female, but just my own that I got good. There are plenty of amazingly powerful female singers in the soul and Jazz genres, two of my favourites being Judy Garland and Aretha Franklin.
Dave: There are many great things about working with London. For one, she has no interest in the operatic style of female singing that so many women in metal do these days. They seem to have all jumped on the Nightwish bandwagon and try to copy Tarja. I think Nightwish is great, but we are nothing like them.
Your vocal range is most impressive also. Where did you learn to sing and from whom?
London: I am self taught. I would record my rehearsals, then listen back and coach myself on what to improve. I tried to read theory books on how to sing, but they didn’t click with me, and didn’t seem to be relevant to the style I wanted to sing. I just use my ears to tell me what I am doing right and wrong.
As far as metal goes, California is really known for its thrash and glam bands and not really known for power metal. How is your reception there?
Dave: I think reception is more of a world wide thing these days with the internet. No matter what I have done in my career, it seems that I have done better overseas in Europe and Japan. Better to be loved somewhere…. then nowhere!
London: Our style of music is not typically popular where we are from. Even so, we find that after hearing us, a lot of people are surprised to find themselves enjoying our music. When music is done well, people respond no matter what the genre.
I seem to find in most musicians that during childhood, something triggers or influences a person at an early age to turn to music. When I grew up, though my parents never played an instrument, they always had rock and roll music playing and that’s where I got the initial music bug. Was this the case with any of your members or did it happen later, like say in high school hanging out with friends? Was there anyone in your family that really influenced you?
Dave: I never really had any support from my family. There was music around when I grew up, but it was Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett, Andy Williams, etc. As I got older, I got into hard rock and heavier stuff that ended up becoming “Metal”. In High School, a friend of mine loaned me his KISS Alive! album, and that really changed things for me. That’s what really did it, and KISS made me want to be a musician.
London: As a child my mother tells me I would drag my record player around by the arm, as if it were my favourite blanket. When I was seven, I found a 45 at the rec center that was a heavy metal band called “Steed“. It had a pounding drum intro followed by heavy guitars. I played it over and over, until my family took it and threw it away, because they couldn’t stand hearing it all day long. I can’t say I blame them! I was always attracted to the heavier sounding music, and I don’t know where that comes from.
Where there any other activities during high school or college that you were into such as sports, acting or whatever?
Dave: Not really, I was a bit of a loner in school. I had problems with my knees that kept me out of sports.
London: I didn’t spend much time in High School; I was living on my own by age 16. I took the GED and put myself through college and graduated when I was 18. I would have loved to be a part of the theatre or choir groups, but I didn’t have the resources or time for that.
Where did each of you grow up and describe the musical atmosphere at the time?
Dave: Dad was in the Navy, and I was born in Japan. We moved all the time every few years. I grew up in the 60’s and 70’s. It was a special time for me. I loved listening to music on the radio and collecting 45 rpm singles, my sister Tracey and I both did this.
London: I grew up in the Santa Cruz Mountains, and other parts of the San Francisco Bay Area. There were lots of people around with long hair my dad called “Hippies” when I was a kid. In the 70’s, Led Zeppelin, Aerosmith, UFO, The Tubes, Kiss, Black Sabbath and Deep Purple were bands I grew up with and loved.
I’m always interested in the very beginnings of when musicians start their first bands. Do you remember your first band, how you got together and what music you were playing? Also can you describe your very first gig and how you felt?
Dave: My first band, I was in high school. We played all cover tunes. KISS, Ted Nugent, Bad Company, whatever else we were into at the time. We were probably horrible. I don’t really recall my first gig, it was probably when I was 19 or 20.
London: My first gig was singing a guest spot for my brothers’ band at a junior High School Dance. I think I was about 14. I was nervous as hell! They had me sing “Heat Wave” by Linda Ronstadt. But I really wanted to sing “Rock Candy” by Montrose! In the 80’s when the metal scene was in full swing in the Bay Area, I joined a few bands and did a few shows, but nothing lasted long. The bands would love my voice, but the female fronted image was something they couldn’t come to terms with, and I would be let go after a few weeks or months. I got frustrated, and by the 90’s I had retreated to doing studio work instead.
At the time of the review, I understand there are 3 members to the band. Has the band played live yet and if so, how is the Californian audience reaction to the band? If not, are there plans to do so?
Dave: So far….WildeStarr has existed only in the studio, and on the internet. We hope to change that with the new CD and do some shows and some touring.
London: Playing live is a whole new set of issues for us, since we have to find extra hands to fill the multiple instruments we play in the studio. We have tried to find permanent members to work with for live shows, but have been unsuccessful in that regard. The path of least resistance for us is to keep making great music and great records. If we build on that success, I think the live line up will eventually fall into place.
Dave: London and I have very high standards as to who we will work with. We have auditioned a handful of people, but none of them could cut it. It makes more work for us in the studio, but I also find that it makes it more meaningful. The 3 of get as much work done as other bands that need 5 or 6 people.
As a big Primal Fear fan, I hear huge amounts of their style in the music and vocals. Was this pre-planned going in or was this something that just came out spontaneously?
Dave: I have never heard Primal Fear before, although I have heard great things about them. I just don’t listen to much music to be honest, I am too busy, and when I do… it’s usually really older stuff. I try to avoid new music, because I don’t want to be influenced by what’s out there right now.
London: You are not the first reviewer to mention that the new album has some similar sound to Primal Fear, but ironically no one in the band is familiar with their music. For Dave and me, our influences go back a little further to bands like Judas Priest, which is probably the common denominator. Our writing is completely spontaneous, with no intent to sound like anyone but ourselves. We see it as a good thing to be compared to a successful and accomplished band, it means we did something right!
Dave: And we don’t mean that to be a knock on Primal Fear. They have probably not heard us either. IMO, bands tend to be very busy with their own music and don’t listen to a lot of what’s out there. However, I did recently discover PASTORE, a really great band from Brazil.
Using the works of Edgar Allan Poe is nothing short of an ambitious project and something I was glad to hear. Some people love him, some hate him and some know nothing or very little about him. Do think that the subject matter may turn people off if they don’t like or know him well?
Dave: I think Poe and heavy metal is a great combination. Dark, moody, sinister, frightening.
London: I don’t know if listeners will care that much about the Poe connection, I think the main thing fans want is great music. You don’t need to like or know anything about Edgar Allen Poe to enjoy this record. It stands on its own.
Who came up with the idea to do the concept for “A Tall Tale Heart?
Dave: I mainly write the music, London is writing the lyrics and this was her idea. A great idea, I might add!
London: The theme evolved naturally without planned intent. When I began writing the lyrics and melodies for this record, I had a Poe book at my bedside I had been enjoying, and subconsciously themes and metaphors were creeping into my creative flow. After I had already written half the album, I noticed a pattern had emerged, and came up with the name “A Tell Tale Heart”. Dave was enthusiastic about it, so it stuck.
The cover artwork visualizes the music inside very well. Who was the artist and how did this come about?
London: I did the artwork for the album. I had other ideas that involved gruesome heart themes, and the guys really liked that. I wasn’t satisfied though, and felt that nothing expresses Edgar Allen Poe more than a raven. We had already inked a deal with Hydrant for the Japanese release, and at the last minute I convinced Dave to let me try out this idea of the bird. Together we came up with having a heart exposed in the bird’s chest. That sold Dave on the new idea. I had to work fast to get it done in time, but I am pretty pleased with the result, I think it represents the feel of the record much better than the other ideas I had.
As for the guitar work on the album, I hear a few different styles that keeps the listener interested but the one common thing I hear is an influence of Ace Frehley. Was he an influence on you? Who else?
Dave: I think you can hear some classic ACE in there. Also, Gary Moore, Scott Gorham, John Sykes, Schenker, Tipton/Downing, and a few others. IMO, the song is the most important thing, and the solo should accent or support it. I try to write solos that can stand out on their own, and make a statement. I have no real interest in solos that are fast for the sake of playing fast, with mindless sweeps and arpeggios. That stuff has no soul, and puts me to sleep.
And what is your preference, guitar or bass?
Dave: I switched over from guitar to bass about 7 years ago. I have not looked back. I do still play bass though, I play all the guitars and bass on the WildeStarr CD’s
What guitars and amplification do you use? What was the very first instrument that you possessed?
Dave: I love Les Paul’s, and I have a few of them. I also have a really nice Japanese Greco Les Paul, I have used it on the last 2 CD’s. I also have and an Ibanez Iceman that I used on the new CD. My first guitar was a classical that my dad bought me; I don’t even recall the name. A bit later he bought me a Yamaha electric. Both of them are long gone, but I wish I still had them! For bass, I used custom made 8 string basses for everything in WildeStarr.
When recording this album, did you mic your amplification for guitars and bass or did you go direct in and tweak your sound from there?
Dave: We went direct for all the guitars and bass. I used a SanSamp GT-2, and whatever effects were in the Cubase 5 computer. I use EMG active pickups for everything I do.
London: We recorded direct to Cubase, and Josh did a lot of EQ magic for the guitar tone. We spent a lot of time on the basic mix to get a bit of a tougher in your face sound than the first record.
How was the band formed and what former bands have you’ve played for, either as a full time member or as a guest?
Dave: London and I started to write songs together about 8 or 9 years ago. London and I met about 25 years ago, and we have been married for 11 years. When I played bass on the CHASTAIN CD “In and Outrage” back in 2004, around that time we began working on songs that would became WildeStarr. As for my other bands, many people know my past background playing bass with Vicious Rumors in the glory years of that band.
London: I met Dave at a metal show in San Francisco in the late 80’s, and we struck an instant friendship. I have been mostly a studio musician and recording engineer, and when Dave left VR in the mid 90’s, I did some recording for him in my studio for his solo demo project. Then in 2003 I engineered his bass tracks for the Chastain CD, and that is when we started talking about starting a band together. Josh entered the band after the first WildeStarr album “Arrival” had been released. Dave met him in our home town, and they exchanged CD’s. Josh had a solo EP project he was working on, and we were very impressed with the drumming style and sound he achieved. Josh was a breath of fresh air for us, very enthusiastic and filled with energy. His influence on the final outcome of “A Tell Tale Heart” is notable, since he did a lot of the engineering and mixing as well. He really helped us zone in on our sound, and was also a blast to work with.
As we now bring the interview to a close, I have to ask the obligatory question… Are there plans to tour this year or for 2013?
Dave: We hope to! We will see how the new CD does and what the labels think.
London: Touring will directly depend on the success of the record, so we shall see!
Artist: Wildestarr
Album: A Tale Tell Heart
Label: Furnace Maximus Records
Release Date: 30 October 2012
Track list
1. Immortal
2. Transformis Ligea
3. A Perfect Storm
4. Valkyrie Cry
5. Last Holy King
6. In Staccata
7. Not Sane
8. Seven Shades Of Winter
9. The Pit or the Pendulum
10. Usher in the Twilight
Thanks to my friend Captain Howdy here at Metal Shock Finland, I was handed the promo for a band called WildeStarr. When I first saw that the name of the band, I said to myself, “Oh no, not another glam LA band.”; Plus the name reminds me of someone’s first band when they were in high school After getting myself acquainted with the bands info, I soon learned that it was a combination of former Vicious Rumors bassist Dave Starr along with vocalist London Wildes names together. Ok, that I can understand! Then 2 things concerned my right off the bat. First was, that this was the bands sophomoric album and it was a concept album. For me, 95% of concept albums suck and for a band to resort to this idea for the second CD was very ambitious on their part. And second, they have female singer. Yikes!!! Except for Doro and Angela Gossow of Arch Enemy, most female fronted bands just don’t cut it. Simply put, and no pun intended, they just don’t have the balls to sing metal. I’m not a big fan in that department at all.
Well after hearing the first song, “Immortal”, this band buried all those perceptions that I just mentioned. This is probably the best song that I’ve heard all year! High piercing screams, killer double bass drums, excellent guitar leads and a tempo that is perfectly made for head banging. The use of doubling the vocals and harmonies are used frequently but at the right moments and the small measures of the tempo slowing down brings out the rest of this selection. After hearing this song, I can honestly say that she has what it takes to be a great metal singer. No whiney moments, just true kick ass vocals. I am most impressed!
“Transformis Ligea” is a perfect follow up to the first track. A very heavy filled rhythm section fused with vocals at a lower register which separates it from opening number but is just as good. The chorus brings out a chilling emotion to her voice and automatically shows that she knows how to send a shiver up the spine. Drummer, Josh Foster drives the song steady with some nice fills and Dave Starr plays some melodic guitar leads that conjure up the spirit of Ace Frehley.
Our third song, “A Perfect Storm” brings forth the sound of modern day Judas Priest. Not as prominent as the other two but a decent effort. I could do without some of the voice effects as I think it isn’t needed and is too much like Priest/Halford. Jack brings a slightly different style of guitar leads here, where the finger work is much more complex.
Now, from here to the last song, you might as well put on a Primal Fear album. Every song is textbook PF. It all sounds that it was lifted from P Fears “New Religion” album. “Valkyrie Cry” and “Last Holy King” are perfect examples of this. Not bad songs but it seems the band stole the playbook from Mat Sinner. The vocals have the exact phrasing and emphasis as Ralf Scheepers.
As we get to the fifth song “In Staccata” we find a song that is completely over sung. I’ve listened to this album 5 times but could only finish listening to this song 3 times. It gets to the point of being really annoying.
Next up and a really good song is “Seven Shades of Winter”. A very profound sounding chorus that catches the listener’s ear! It sounds a bit different than the other songs but not enough where it sounds that it doesn’t belong. The verse flows effortlessly into the chorus which is dramatic but not over bearing. My second favourite song on the album as it combines a heavy back section into a catchy, melodic chorus.
The last two songs, “The Pit and the Pendulum” and “Usher in the Twilight” continue on the Primal Fear path.
The production work is at the top of the class. All the instruments sound as if you could walk between them so there are no problems there. My one small concern is that the drums seem a bit too digital sounding. For me, this is a problem not just here but with a lot of other modern metal albums.
Now for the band itself, absolutely no lack of talent here whatsoever; I really, really like this band. Dave Starr plays flawlessly throughout the album. He seems to instinctively know when to play melodically and when to rip the frets off the board. He adds effects not to sound different but to compliment or to bring a song along. London Wilde is without a doubt, my favourite female singer. She is more than competent singing in a predominately mans domain. I just hope that she sometimes exercises “the less is more” rule in the future as sometimes her much higher range notes become a bit much after using them frequently. Josh Foster fills in the drum seat quite nicely. Fast double bass beats drive many of the songs to blistering speed and he throws in fills where needed. The one good thing is that he doesn’t play “lead” drums where the fills could interfere with the vocals. He knows when to play and when to pull back, something that is detrimental to some drummers.
Overall, It is a pretty good album.. I just wished they touched the album with more originality. I was let down after hearing the first two songs which were killer, a path they should have stayed on. The concept element worked well here and the artwork of the album cover is a good representation of the music inside. I look forward to hearing their next set of works.
Favourite song: “Immortal”.
Least Favourite: “In Staccata”
Metal Shock Finland (World Assault ) 