The Rockphiles

The Rockphiles http://rockchoice.com Your hard rock and metal music connection. Thu, 02 Feb 2012 02:05:34 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 en hourly 1 Hard Rock and Metal music spanning 40 plus years and counting. All the great songs not just the hits. Want to hear a band you\'ve never heard or something you haven\'t heard in a long time? Are you a fan of hard rock and metal music? tune in to The Rockphiles. Your hard rock and metal music connection. SpaceTrucker Hard, Rock, Roll, Heavy, Metal, Music, yes Robert Munger sports4u@email.com Interview | Will Wallner and Vivian Vain of Wallner/Vain http://rockchoice.com/interview-will-wallner-and-vivian-vain-of-wallnervain http://rockchoice.com/interview-will-wallner-and-vivian-vain-of-wallnervain#comments Wed, 18 May 2011 23:15:01 +0000 SpaceTrucker http://rockchoice.com/?p=8624 http://rockchoice.com/interview-will-wallner-and-vivian-vain-of-wallnervain/feed 1 <div id="attachment_6632" class="wp-caption alignright" style="width: 241px"><img class="size-medium wp-image-6632" title="wvpressphoto" src="http://rockchoice.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/wvpressphoto-231x300.jpg" alt="Will Wallner and Vivian Vain of Wallner/Vain" width="231" height="300" />Will Wallner and Vivian Vain of Wallner/Vain</div> Will Wallner is a hard rock guitarist born in San Diego, Ca that moved with his parents at a very young age to England where he grew up. His influences include Ritchie Blackmore, John Sykes, Jake E. Lee and many more. In 2008 at age 21 he moved to Los Angeles, CA to pursue a career as a professional musician. Since his arrival he has become an in demand session player and guitar teacher. Vivien Vain is a hard rock singer from an island off the coast of Croatia. Her influences include Ronnie James Dio, Joe Lynn Turner, David Coverdale and many more. In 2006 at age 20 she moved to New York and a year later to Los Angeles to pursue the same dream. Listen to my interview with Will and Vivian below. <a title="Interview With Will Wallner and Vivian Vain" href="http://rockchoice.com/podcasts/Wallner%20Vain%20Interview.mp3" target="_blank">Click Here To Download The Show</a> Click <a title="Rockchoice.com Website" href="http://rockchoice.com" target="_blank">here</a> to continue browsing Rockchoice.com while you listen. The project began when Wallner/Vain had a chance meeting with legendary drumming brothers Carmine Appice (Blue Murder / King Kobra) and Vinny Appice (Black Sabbath / Dio / Heaven & Hell) at the Rainbow Bar & Grill on the Sunset Strip. Half of the songs feature Carmine and half feature Vinny. Bassist Tony Franklin (Blue Murder / The Firm) plays alongside Carmine which reunites the duo who played together in the critically acclaimed Blue Murder. Vinny performs with bassist Jimmy Bain (Rainbow / Dio) who had previously played together in the classic line-up of DIO. Bassist Rudy Sarzo (Ozzy Osbourne / Quiet Riot) also plays on several tracks with Vinny. Guest musician keyboardiast Tony Carey (Rainbow / EBC) also plays on two tracks and reunites Carey with Jimmy Bain who last played together on the Rainbow album ‘Rising‘ which was released in 1976. Mixing the album is industry pro Gary Tole who in addition to working with Bon Jovi and Metallica has worked with David Lee Roth and Joe Lynn Turner. Finally a song from Will Wallner’s previous project with keyboardist Derek Sherinian (Dream Theater / Black Country Communion) will be included on the album. The song was produced by Derek and features Brian Tichy (Whitesnake / Pride & Glory) on drums with [...] Wallner/Vain the project born out of guitarist Will Wallner and vocalist Vivian Vain's love of Hard Rock and Metal music is nearly finished. They recently took the time to talk with me about their upcoming self titled debut record. The Quill | Killer Hard Rock Band From Sweden http://rockchoice.com/killer-hard-rock-from-sweden-the-quill http://rockchoice.com/killer-hard-rock-from-sweden-the-quill#comments Wed, 18 May 2011 18:51:23 +0000 SpaceTrucker http://rockchoice.com/?p=8599 http://rockchoice.com/killer-hard-rock-from-sweden-the-quill/feed 0 <div id="attachment_8600" class="wp-caption alignright" style="width: 235px"><img class="size-medium wp-image-8600" title="Thequillart" src="http://rockchoice.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/Thequillart-300x270.jpg" alt="Full Circle" width="225" height="225" />Full Circle</div> The Swedish four-piece has been around since the nineties and went on to release three acclaimed albums on SPV Records ‘Voodoo Caravan‘ (2001), ‘Hooray! It’s A Deathtrip‘ (2003) and In Triumph (2006). With the touring cycle for the latter record completed, the band and singer Magnus Ekwall parted ways and The Quill was put on the back burner. Drummer Jolle Atlagic joined now defunct Finnish glam legends Hanoi Rocks, touring Europe and Japan in the process, and also did a stint in The Real McCoy band alongside Foo Fighters guitarist Chris Shiflett. Quill guitarist Christian Carlsson and bassist Robert Triches also kept busy with other projects. <div id="attachment_8615" class="wp-caption alignright" style="width: 235px"><img class="size-full wp-image-8615" title="In Triumph" src="http://rockchoice.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/In-Triumph.jpg" alt="In Triumph" width="225" height="225" />In Triumph</div> Check out a few tracks off The Quill’s 2006 record ‘In Triumph‘ below. Keep The Circle Whole Slave/Master Man In Mind Down In 2010, it was time for The Quill again. Songs were written and Magnus Arnar (X-Ground Mower and Soul 78) filled the vacant vocalist spot. It was a perfect match. The versatile 33 year-old has heaps of energy and a powerful voice that fits The Quill like a glove. Magnus has the required range to sing the old stuff but also a rawness that the band was looking for. Check out the video for the song ‘Broken Man‘ off ‘In Triumph‘ from The Quill below. Yes, there’s a new twist to the sound. Less is more, if you will. The songs are sharp, direct and catchy, built around big riffs, big grooves and big hooks. Just check out “Sleeping With Your Enemy” and try to get that chorus out of your head. Surrender to the up-tempo outburst of energy that is “Medicine“. And physically feel how “Bring It On” simply rocks like a motherfucker, it has very much of a classic rock sound but yet still has that contemporary feel in the Foo Fighters/Queens Of The Stone Age vein. The Quill recently signed with Metalville Records. Needless to say, The Quill is a band reborn. This is what they are meant to do. [...] Five years since their last studio album The Quill is ready to once again spread its musical gospel. The new album 'Full Circle' out July 26th, 2011 in the U.S. on Metalville Records is packed with heavy rock firmly rooted in the [...] New Song From Finland’s Amoral ‘Same Difference’ http://rockchoice.com/new-amoral-song-same-difference http://rockchoice.com/new-amoral-song-same-difference#comments Tue, 17 May 2011 13:01:07 +0000 SpaceTrucker http://rockchoice.com/?p=8500 http://rockchoice.com/new-amoral-song-same-difference/feed 0 <div id="attachment_8502" class="wp-caption alignright" style="width: 310px"><img class="size-full wp-image-8502" title="Same Difference kansi 300x300" src="http://rockchoice.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/Same-Difference-kansi-300x300.jpg" alt="Same Difference" width="300" height="300" />Same Difference</div> Formed in 2000, Finnish metal band Amoral released three studio records. After dropping the “Death” from their metal in 2008 and recruiting Finnish “Idol” winner Ari Koivunen on vocals, the band released their 2009 record ‘Show Your Colors.’ In 2010 original guitarist Silver Ots and Amoral parted ways and guitarist Valtteri Hirvonen (who had played with the band for Ots on a 2009 European tour) was made the “official stand guitarist” for the band. Later in 2010 Amoral started writing material for a new record. In early 2011 Amoral announced Masi Hukari as their new guitarist and went into the studio to record their 5th studio record ‘Beneath‘ due out sometime in October of 2011. The first single off the new record titled ‘Same Difference‘ has been released and this is what Amoral founding member and guitarist Ben Varon had to say about the song: <blockquote>“Same Difference is one of my favorite tracks off the new album, Ari Koivunen sounds better than ever on it, and the back-to-back leads with our new guitarist Masi Hukari is something new for us. Hard rockin’, lots of riffs and big choruses, just like we like it!”</blockquote> I ask Ben Varon, Amoral’s primary songwriter what ‘Same Difference‘ is all about and here’s what he had to say: <blockquote>“Let’s see… ‘Same Difference‘ is pretty much about people with blind hate towards something or someone, and what a waste of life that is. Be it a racist idiot who can’t really even explain to himself why he feels that way, or the town drunk who doesn’t like you because the way you look. Ignorance in it worst form.”</blockquote> To hear ‘Same Difference‘ click the player below. ‘Beneath‘ was recorded at Sound Supreme studios in Hämeenlinna and was produced by Janne Saksa and Ben Varon. Visit Amoral’s official website <a title="Amoral Official Website" href="http://www.amoralweb.com/" target="_blank">here</a>. Amoral is: * Ari Koivunen – Vocals * Ben Varon – Guitar * Masi Hukari -Guitar * Juhana Karlsson – Drums * Pekka Johansson – Bass Finnish rockers Amoral have released their first single from their upcoming album 'Beneath.' The hard rock/metal hybrid tune "Same Difference" offers a little taste of things to come on the upcoming record due for release in [...] Interview | Kev Bower & Andy Sneap Of HELL http://rockchoice.com/interview-kev-bower-andy-sneap-of-hell http://rockchoice.com/interview-kev-bower-andy-sneap-of-hell#comments Fri, 13 May 2011 03:44:00 +0000 SpaceTrucker http://rockchoice.com/?p=8473 http://rockchoice.com/interview-kev-bower-andy-sneap-of-hell/feed 0 Cited as a huge indirect influence, and as one of the true founding fathers of occult metal, the band formed in 1982 from the carcasses of U.K. metal bands Race Against Time and Paralex, whose “White Lightning” EP was listed by Metallica as a favorite, and which was subsequently included on the Lars Ulrich, Geoff Barton “NWOBHM ‘79 Revisited” sampler album. Listen to my interview with Kev Bower and Andy Sneap below. <a title="Interview With Kev Bower and Andy Sneap of HELL" href="http://rockchoice.com/podcasts/Andy%20Sneap%20Kev%20Bower%20Interview.mp3" target="_blank">Click Here To Download The Show</a> Click <a title="Rockchoice.com Website" href="http://rockchoice.com" target="_blank">here</a> to continue browsing Rockchoice.com while you listen. <div id="attachment_8475" class="wp-caption alignright" style="width: 210px"><img class="size-full wp-image-8475" title="Kev Bower" src="http://rockchoice.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/Kev-Bower.jpg" alt="Kev Bower of HELL" width="200" height="133" />Kev Bower of HELL</div> Despite over five years of constant touring, the band was cruelly overlooked by the ’80s music press, who just didn’t get it. HELL were too different, too extreme, too musically intelligent and far too thought-provoking for all but the most enlightened to understand them. The final crushing blow came when their long-awaited 1986 album deal with Mausoleum collapsed as the label went bankrupt, followed by the tragic suicide of singer/guitarist Dave Halliday in 1987. The remaining members drew a line in the sand and stopped playing overnight. <div id="attachment_8474" class="wp-caption alignright" style="width: 210px"><img class="size-full wp-image-8474" title="Andy Sneap" src="http://rockchoice.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/Andy-Sneap.jpg" alt="Andy Sneap of HELL" width="200" height="133" />Andy Sneap of HELL</div> A teenage Andy Sneap was a permanent fixture on the front row of almost every show HELL played and was also taught to play guitar by Halliday. He then went on to form Sabbat and become a renowned metal producer. Upon meeting again, the remaining members of HELL — Kev Bower (guitar/keyboards), Tony Speakman (bass) and Tim Bowler (drums) — talked with Andy about re-recording the old material to release in conjunction with the old demos. With Sneap replacing Halliday on guitar and David Bower on vocals, the band has recorded 10 HELL classics from the ’80s. One hugely respected European journal has already described “Human Remains” as one of the best things they have heard in the last 15 years and THE band to watch out for in 2011. Commented Nuclear Blast A&R representative Jaap Wagemaker: <blockquote>“HELL [...] U.K. Metal band HELL is about to unleash a Metal Music Masterpiece on the world titled 'Human Remains' May, Friday the 13th in the U.K. and Tuesday the 17th in the U.S. HELL members Kev Bower and Andy Sneap were kind enough to speak with [...] Interview | Niklas Stalvind Of WOLF http://rockchoice.com/interview-niklas-stalvind-of-wolf http://rockchoice.com/interview-niklas-stalvind-of-wolf#comments Tue, 26 Apr 2011 02:29:56 +0000 SpaceTrucker http://rockchoice.com/?p=8247 http://rockchoice.com/interview-niklas-stalvind-of-wolf/feed 0 Swedish heavy metallers WOLF will release their sixth album, “Legions Of Bastards”, via Century Media Records on the following dates: Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Norway: Friday, April 22 Rest Of Europe: Monday, April 25 North America, Spain, Italy: Tuesday, April 26 Sweden, Finland, Hungary: Wednesday, April 27 Australia, New Zealand: Friday, April 29 Listen to my audio interview with Niklas Stalvind below. <a title="Interview With Niklas Stalvind of WOLF" href="http://rockchoice.com/podcasts/Niklas%20Stalvind%20Interview.mp3" target="_blank">Click Here To Download The Interview</a> Click <a title="Rockchoice.com Website" href="http://rockchoice.com" target="_blank">here</a> to continue browsing Rockchoice.com while you listen. The follow-up to 2009’s “Ravenous”, “Legions Of Bastards” was produced by Pelle Saether at Studio Underground in Vasterås, Sweden. The cover artwork was once again created by Thomas Holm (the man who was responsible for the legendary MERCYFUL FATE “Melissa” and “Don’t Break The Oath” covers). Commented the band: “‘Legions Of Bastards’ is the fruit of lots of hard work, sweat and blood. <blockquote>“Our music has always come from the heart, but this one seems to us even more honest and straight-forward than any other album we’ve made. “We’re not afraid to say that this is a GREAT album. If you love it, like we do, raise the horns and bang your head! If you don’t — we don’t care. We’d still be banging our heads!”</blockquote> <div id="attachment_7807" class="wp-caption alignright" style="width: 310px"><img class="size-medium wp-image-7807" title="wolflegions" src="http://rockchoice.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/wolflegions-300x300.jpg" alt="Legions Of Bastards" width="300" height="300" />Legions Of Bastards</div> Legions Of Bastards track listing: 01. Vicious Companions 02. Skull Crusher 03. Full Moon Possession 04. Jekyll & Hyde 05. Absinthe 06. Tales From The Crypt 07. Nocturnal Rites 08. Road To Hell 09. False Preacher 10. Hope To Die 11. K-141 Kursk The limited-edition digipak version of “Legions Of Bastards” includes “6 Steps” (Japanese bonus track from the “Ravenous” album) and “Method [...] With their 6th studio record 'Legions Of Bastards' out, WOLF main man Niklas Stalvind took time to talk with me about the new record, what it's about, how the title came to be and what went into making it. Top Ten Records | Simon Gordon Hellfighter http://rockchoice.com/top-ten-records-simon-gordon-hellfighter http://rockchoice.com/top-ten-records-simon-gordon-hellfighter#comments Sat, 09 Apr 2011 02:20:16 +0000 SpaceTrucker http://rockchoice.com/?p=7232 http://rockchoice.com/top-ten-records-simon-gordon-hellfighter/feed 0 Vocalist Simon Gordon formed Hellfighter with former Xentrix band mates Kristian Havard (guitar) and Den Gasser (drums). After recruiting Den’s brother Mel Gasser (bass) and guitarist Pete Smith, the band recorded and released their killer hard hitting debut record ‘Damnation’s Wings‘ on April 5th, 2011. Check out my review of Hellfighters debut record ‘Damnation’s Wings‘ <a title="Damnation's Wings Review" href="../review-hellfighter-damnations-wings/" target="_blank">here</a>. I recently asked Simon to list the Top Ten Records That Changed His Life, which he graciously did. See what records were important to shaping Simon’s taste in Hard Rock and Metal music below. Listen to my audio interview with Simon Gordon <a title="Simon Gordon Audio Interview" href="http://rockchoice.com/interview-simon-gordon-of-hellfighter/" target="_blank">here</a>. Listen to a track from each of Simon’s Top Ten Records below. Click <a title="Rockchoice.com Website" href="http://rockchoice.com" target="_blank">here</a> to continue browsing Rockchoice.com while you listen. <div id="attachment_7845" class="wp-caption alignright" style="width: 210px"><img class="size-full wp-image-7845 " title="The Number Of The Beast" src="http://rockchoice.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/The-Number-Of-The-Beast.jpg" alt="The Number Of The Beast" width="200" height="200" />The Number Of The Beast</div> <h4>Iron Maiden – Number of the Beast</h4> I was very young at this point, 11 or 12, I’d just started getting into metal and this album was simply amazing to me. Great cover, slightly scary and controversial title, brilliant songs and every instrument including vocals being played to the extreme. No contest top album of all time for me. I would love to hear a better album than this but I doubt it will ever happen. This cemented my love of metal for all time. Release Date: 1982 Track Listing: 01. Invaders – 3:24 02. Children of the Damned – 4:35 03. The Prisoner – 6:03 04. 22 Acacia Avenue – 6:37 05. The Number of the Beast – 4:51 06. Run to the Hills – 3:54 07. Gangland – 3:49 08. Hallowed Be Thy Name – 7:12 <div id="attachment_8183" class="wp-caption alignright" style="width: 210px"><img class="size-full wp-image-8183 " title="Scorpions Blackout" src="http://rockchoice.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/Scorpions-Blackout.jpg" alt="Blackout" width="200" height="200" />Blackout</div> <h4>Scorpions – Blackout</h4> A friend of mine introduced me to this album. That Matthias Jabs guitar break on “No-one Like You,” hooked [...] Vocalist Simon Gordon of the amazing UK Metal band Hellfighter weighed in on the Top Ten Records That Changed His Life and from the look of his list it's no wonder his band Hellfighter ROCKS! Interview | Andy Boulton Tokyo Blade http://rockchoice.com/interview-andy-boulton-tokyo-blade-thousand-men-strong http://rockchoice.com/interview-andy-boulton-tokyo-blade-thousand-men-strong#comments Sat, 19 Mar 2011 04:38:31 +0000 SpaceTrucker http://rockchoice.com/?p=7738 http://rockchoice.com/interview-andy-boulton-tokyo-blade-thousand-men-strong/feed 1 <div id="attachment_7742" class="wp-caption alignright" style="width: 281px"><img class="size-full wp-image-7742" title="Tokyo Blade CD" src="http://rockchoice.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/Tokyo-Blade-CD.jpg" alt="Thousand Men Strong" width="271" height="269" />Thousand Men Strong</div> Formed in 1981 under the name Killer and then Genghis Khan then, eventually Tokyo Blade, this NWOBHM band went through numerous member changes. The 2011 Tokyo Blade line-up includes four of the five original members, Andy Boulton (guitar), Andy Wrighton (bass), John Wiggins (guitar) and Steve Pierce (drums) and is completed by powerhouse vocalist Nicolaj Ruhnhow. With a second chance to prove to themselves and anyone else listening that Tokyo Blade was and is a band to be reckoned with the boys released their new record ‘Thousand Men Strong‘ and it is nothing short of amazing. Listen to my interview with Andy Boulton below. <a title="Interview With Andy Boulton of Tokyo Blade" href="http://rockchoice.com/podcasts/Andy%20Boulton%20Interview.mp3" target="_blank">Click Here To Download The Show</a> Click <a title="Rockchoice.com Website" href="http://rockchoice.com" target="_blank">here</a> to continue browsing Rockchoice.com while you listen. The new album “Thousand Men Strong“ is going to thrill the fans from the early days as well as younger people who love their Metal powerful, melodic and above all HEAVY! Produced by Grammy-nominated producer Chris Tsangarides (Ozzy Osbourne, Judas Priest, Thin Lizzy), the album contains nine brand new tracks plus a reworking of the anthemic title track from the aforementioned ‘Night Of The Blade’. This summer, Tokyo Blade will perform at some of the most important European festivals. New Wave Of British Heavy Metal is as strong as ever before and as the name suggests a “Thousand Men Strong“ will take a lot to be beat. Thousand Men Strong track listing: 01. Black Abyss 02. Thousand Men Strong 03. Lunch-Case 04. Forged In Hell’s Fire 05. No Conclusion 06. The Ambush 07. Killing Rays 08. Heading Down The Road 09. Condemned To Fire 10. Night Of The Blade Reformed pioneering New Wave Of British Heavy Metal band Tokyo Blade released their new studio album Thousand Men Strong worldwide March 18th, 2011. Listen to my in depth interview with Tokyo Blade co-founder and guitarist Andy Boulton. Top Ten Records | Rob Thorne Sacred Oath http://rockchoice.com/top-ten-records-rob-thorne-sacred-oath http://rockchoice.com/top-ten-records-rob-thorne-sacred-oath#comments Sun, 13 Mar 2011 03:59:01 +0000 SpaceTrucker http://rockchoice.com/?p=7546 http://rockchoice.com/top-ten-records-rob-thorne-sacred-oath/feed 0 Rob Thorne co-founded Sacred Oath with school mate Pete Altieri in 1985. Signed To Mercenary Records they recorded their debut record ‘A Crystal Vision‘ in 1987 and released it in 1988. ‘A Crystal Vision‘ was considered to be one of the pioneer efforts of the American power metal movement. Sacred Oath broke up in late 1988 due to creative disagreements and frustration with their failing record label. In 2001 Sentinel Records reissued the debut album through an exclusive agreement with the band. Sacred Oath reformed and re-recorded the songs from that album, releasing them as ‘A Crystal Revision‘ in 2005. Rob and Kenny Evans continued to record as Sacred Oath, issuing the critically acclaimed comeback album ‘Darkness Visible‘ in 2007 with all four original members. In 2008 they released a live album ‘Till Death Do Us Part‘ recorded during their tour of Europe. This album featured a new guitarist (Billy Smith) and a new bass player (Scott Waite), and established the band as back and fully active in the current music world. In 2009, the new lineup of Sacred Oath consisting of Rob Thorne (Lead Vocals/Guitar), Kenny Evans (Drums), Bill Smith (Guitar) and Brendan Kelleher (Bass) recorded their self-titled album, ‘Sacred Oath,’ featuring their first single, ‘Counting Zeros.’ Sacred Oath released their 2nd studio record with the current lineup titled ‘World On Fire‘ on October 5th 2010. It was a Rockchoice Top Twenty Hard Rock and Metal Album for 2010. Rob has his own recording studio and the Angel Thorne Music Company. Rob was kind enough to take the time to list the Top Ten Records that changed his life for Rockchoice. Listen to a track from each of the albums Rob choose as you read through his list below. Click <a title="Rockchoice.com Website" href="http://rockchoice.com" target="_blank">here</a> to continue browsing Rockchoice.com while you listen. <div id="attachment_2045" class="wp-caption alignright" style="width: 210px"><img class="size-medium wp-image-2045" title="Back In Black" src="http://rockchoice.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/Back-In-Black-300x300.jpg" alt="Back In Black" width="200" height="200" />Back In Black</div> <h4>AC/DC – Back in Black</h4> This album got me into hard rock music in the first place. Before that I was listening to Billy Joel. Release Date: 1980 Track Listing: 01. Hells Bells – 5:10 02. Shoot to Thrill – 5:17 03. What Do You Do for Money Honey – 3:33 04. Givin the Dog a Bone – 3:30 05. Let Me Put My Love into You – 4:16 06. Back in Black – 4:14 07. You Shook Me All [...] I recently asked Connecticut based Metal band Sacred Oath vocalist/guitarist Rob Thorne what are the top ten records that changed his life and why. See what Rob had to say. Ten Records That Changed My Life http://rockchoice.com/ten-albums-that-changed-my-life http://rockchoice.com/ten-albums-that-changed-my-life#comments Sun, 27 Feb 2011 19:58:04 +0000 SpaceTrucker http://rockchoice.com/?p=7228 http://rockchoice.com/ten-albums-that-changed-my-life/feed 5 This is it, these are the Top Ten Records That Changed My Life. No doubt there have been numerous bands and hundreds of records that I have come to love, but these ten had a huge impact on my love and passion for Hard Rock and Heavy Metal music. I can still listen to them today with the same fist pumping, head banging, sing along enthusiasm as when I first heard them. Many bands that followed have taken this incredible genre to new levels playing it harder, faster and louder but these will always have a special place in my heart. Listen to Choice Trax from these records as you read about why they are my top ten. <a title="Rockchoice.com Website" href="http://rockchoice.com" target="_blank">To browse Rockchoice.com while you listen, click here.</a> <div id="attachment_7484" class="wp-caption alignright" style="width: 210px"><img class="size-full wp-image-7484" title="Grand Funk Red Album" src="http://rockchoice.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/Grand-Funk-Red-Album.jpg" alt="Grand Funk" width="200" height="200" />Grand Funk</div> <h4>Grand Funk Railroad – Grand Funk</h4> Also known as ‘The Red Album‘ this is where it really started for me. When I heard the fuzz tone guitar and the clean, raw powerful vocals of Mark Farner (one of the most underrated vocalist in rock) backed by the thundering bass of Mel Schacher and hard hitting drumming of Don Brewer I was hooked on Hard Rock for life. Every song from ‘Got This Thing On The Move,’ ‘Paranoid,’ In Need‘ to the incredible cover of The Animals ‘Inside Looking Out,’ this is a kick ass, hard driving power trio in every since of the term, powerful. Release Date: 1969 Track Listing: 1. Got This Thing on the Move – 4:38 2. Please Don’t Worry – 4:19 3. High Falootin’ Woman – 3:00 4. Mr. Limousine Driver – 4:26 5. In Need – 7:52 6. Winter and My Soul – 6:38 7. Paranoid – 7:50 8. Inside Looking Out – 9:31 <div id="attachment_4829" class="wp-caption alignright" style="width: 210px"> <img class="size-medium wp-image-4471" title="black_sabbath_debut_album" src="http://rockchoice.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/black_sabbath_debut_album-300x300.jpg" alt="Black Sabbath" width="200" height="200" />Black Sabbath</div> <h4>Black Sabbath – Black Sabbath</h4> As a kid, this album cover scared the hell out of me, especially when I heard the music inside. The second my older brother set the needle of our parents big console record player down on this record, turned it up and I heard the bell toll and the heavy rain soaked opening riff of Tony Iommi followed by Ozzy Osbourne’s ominous vocals, this record upped the ante for me as I was introduced to a whole new world called Heavy Metal. Geezer [...] Elvis, Buddy Holly, Chuck Berry and others were the Pioneers. The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Cream and Jimmy Hendrix among others were the revolutionaries and innovators. But the top ten records that changed my life were game changers for me. Interview | Simon Gordon Of Hellfighter http://rockchoice.com/interview-simon-gordon-of-hellfighter http://rockchoice.com/interview-simon-gordon-of-hellfighter#comments Tue, 22 Feb 2011 06:46:26 +0000 SpaceTrucker http://rockchoice.com/?p=7607 http://rockchoice.com/interview-simon-gordon-of-hellfighter/feed 0 <div id="attachment_6614" class="wp-caption alignright" style="width: 217px"><img class="size-medium wp-image-6614 " title="Hellfighter-Cover-Med-" src="http://rockchoice.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/Hellfighter-Cover-Med--295x300.jpg" alt="Damnation's Wings" width="207" height="210" />Damnation's Wings</div> Hellfighter’s origins can be traced back to UK Metal band Xentrix, who were at the forefront of the European thrash metal scene in the 1990s. They released five albums and toured Europe extensively with bands such as Testament, Sabbat and Tankard, receiving widespread critical acclaim. They are now acknowledged as one of the foremost British exponents of the Thrash Metal genre. Listen to my interview with Simon Gordon below. <a title="Interview With Kev Bower and Andy Sneap of HELL" href="http://rockchoice.com/podcasts/Simon%20Gordon%20Interview.mp3" target="_blank">Click Here To Download The Show</a> <a title="Rockchoice.com Website" href="http://rockchoice.com">To listen to the interview and continue browsing Rockchoice.com click here</a>. After a period spent working on different projects ex-Xentrix members, Kristian Havard (guitar), Den Gasser (drums) and Simon Gordon (vocals) reformed in 2007, recruiting Pete Stone (ex Kill II This) and bassist Mel Gasser to complete the line up of Hellfighter. In 2008/9 the band played a number of UK shows, including the Bloodstock and Metalfest festivals as well as recording a demo. At the end of 2009 the band signed to Heavy Metal Records. The label, which celebrated its 30th year in 2010, has worked with artists like Accept, Diamond Head, Witchfinder General, Paul Di’Anno, Marshall Law and Biomechanical. Hellfighter has recently released their debut album, ‘Damnation’s Wings’ on iTunes and it will be available in the UK and Europe February 28th and April 5th in the U.S. This is Metal from the black heart of northern England… Check out my review of ‘Damnation’s Wings‘ <a title="Damnation's Wings Review" href="../review-hellfighter-damnations-wings/" target="_blank">here</a>. Visit Helfighter’s official website <a title="Hellfighter Official Website" href="http://hellfighter.co.uk/" target="_blank">here</a>. I recently had the pleasure of speaking with vocalist Simon Gordon of the UK Metal band Hellfighter about their newly released debut record 'Damnation's Wings'. See what Simon had to say and what's in store for the band. Choice Trax | February http://rockchoice.com/choice-trax-hard-rock-metal-music-podcast http://rockchoice.com/choice-trax-hard-rock-metal-music-podcast#comments Sat, 19 Feb 2011 05:04:00 +0000 SpaceTrucker http://rockchoice.com/?p=7053 http://rockchoice.com/choice-trax-hard-rock-metal-music-podcast/feed 0 These are Choice Trax from Hard Rock and Metal bands like German Metal legends Scorpions with their final and farewell record ‘Sting In The Tail‘ and Accept reforming with new American singer Mark Tornillo and the result is the instant Metal classic ‘Blood Of The Nations.’ The Swedes were cranking out new Metal music with bands like Sister Sin with their sophomore record ‘True Sound Of The Underground‘ and power trio Grand Magus with ‘Hammer Of The North.‘ Click <a title="Rockchoice.com Website" href="http://rockchoice.com" target="_blank">here</a> to continue browsing Rockchoice.com while you listen. Norwegian Metal band SAHG put out SAHG III. Finnish metalers Poisonblack released ‘Of Rust And Bones‘ and of course the British are still coming with Metal veterans Iron Maiden and their fifteenth record ‘The Final Frontier‘ and Judas Priest frontman Rob Halford’s band Halford gave us ‘Made Of Metal.’ And the American bands were busy as well. Disturbed put out ‘Asylum,’ The Oracle‘ by Godsmack, Texas metal band The Sword’s effort ‘Warp Riders,’ ex-Savatage singer Zach Stevens and his band Circle II Circle with ‘Consequence Of Power,’ Zakk Wylde’s band Black Label Society released ‘Order Of The Black,’ Pittsburgh’s Icarus Witch latest record ‘Draw Down The Moon,’ pro wrestler turned Metal singer Chris Jehrico’s band Fozzy with ‘Chasing The Grail,’ new supergroup Black Country Communion’s debut ‘Black Country,’ East coast Metal band Sacred Oath with ‘World On Fire,’ Los Angeles based traditional metalers White Wizzard and their second record ‘Over The Top,’ Armored Saint finds the return of singer John Bush with ‘La Raza‘ and Glen Danzig with ‘Dead Red Saboath.’ Choice Trax Track Listing: Song/Band 01. Grail – Fozzy 02. Love, Hate, Sex, Pain – Godsmack 03. 24/7 – Sister Sin 04. Let’s Rock – Scorpions 05. Whispers In Vain – Circle II Circle 06. [...] Want to hear some kick ass Hard Rock and Metal tunes? These are Choice Trax from the Rockchoice Top 20 Hard Rock and Metal Records of 2010. From legendary veterans of Hard Rock and Metal to the new comers that will carry this powerful genre into [...] Review | Hellfighter’s Damnation’s Wings http://rockchoice.com/review-hellfighter-damnations-wings http://rockchoice.com/review-hellfighter-damnations-wings#comments Sat, 05 Feb 2011 04:02:25 +0000 SpaceTrucker http://rockchoice.com/?p=7086 http://rockchoice.com/review-hellfighter-damnations-wings/feed 3 <div id="attachment_6614" class="wp-caption alignright" style="width: 305px"><img class="size-medium wp-image-6614" title="Hellfighter-Cover-Med-" src="http://rockchoice.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/Hellfighter-Cover-Med--295x300.jpg" alt="Damnation's Wings" width="295" height="300" />Damnation's Wings</div> A monster riff accompanied by a scream that will send chills down your metal spine lifts Hellfighter into the heavens upon ‘Damnation’s Wings‘ to launch an all out assault on your senses that will knock you down, but leave you begging for more. After rising from the ashes of the battlegrounds of the 90’s UK Thrash Metal scene ex-Xentrix, vocalist Simon Gordon, guitarist Kristian Havard and drummer Den Gasser recruited guitarist Pete Smith and Den’s brother Mel Gasser (bass) to forge new Metal with their band Hellfighter. Signed to Heavy Metal Records in late 2009 the band got busy writing material for their debut record. Simon Gordon’s strong vocal performance on Damnation’s Wings ranges from guttural lows to stratospheric highs. In between is a gritty razor sharp delivery that is reminiscent of the legendary Metal vocalist from the past. But Gordon has a unique sound all his own that suits Hellfighter’s heavy hard driving sound perfectly. The songs on Damnation’s Wings reflect the bands Thrash and Metal roots with a more mature tone and heady song writing that contain subjects including an 18th century murderer of the female persuasion, the horrors of World War II and the world economic collapse and struggles. This record is intense, precise, melodic mayhem that will have you banging your head from start to finish. The twin axe attack of guitarist Kristen Havard and Pete Smith never lets up. Crunchy heavy riffs and technical yet not over blown pretentious soloing throughout Damnation’s Wings, creates a feeding frenzy of power and riffage. It’s obvious Hellfighter poured their hearts and souls into this effort without even a hint of a filler. From the opening chords of ‘Tower Of Sin‘ to the epic closer ‘Firewalker,‘ Damnation’s Wings is a modern day Metal masterpiece. Listen to ‘Firewalker‘ below. Drummer Den Gasser is a man possessed, his ever present but not over powering drumming has him pounding out dizzying drum patterns and tasty double kick drum beats that will have you feeling like you’re up against the ropes with a prize fighter working you’re mid section. Mel Gasser’s thundering locomotive bass lines compliment Den’s drumming and the duo make far a rock solid rhythm section. Producer Andy Sneap’s brilliant performance behind the mixing board at Backstage Studios, Derbyshire, England and at Viscon Studios, Lancashire, England lends to the sonically perfect mix of Damnation’s Wings without the presence of the all to often heard ‘loudness war’ that makes for a distorted recording. The [...] Deep in the forest's of Northern England emanating from an ominous structure known as the 'Tower Of Sin' is a sound so powerful, so dominating that it will be heard throughout the Metal world. Interview | Bobby Caldwell http://rockchoice.com/interview-bobby-caldwell http://rockchoice.com/interview-bobby-caldwell#comments Sun, 23 May 2010 01:49:25 +0000 SpaceTrucker http://rockchoice.com/?p=6139 http://rockchoice.com/interview-bobby-caldwell/feed 10 <div id="attachment_6142" class="wp-caption alignright" style="width: 248px"><img class="size-full wp-image-6142" title="Bobby Caldwell" src="http://rockchoice.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/Bobby-Caldwell.jpg" alt="Bobby Caldwell" width="238" height="317" />Bobby Caldwell</div> I recently caught up with Bobby at his home in Florida and had the privilege of speaking with him about his career in music and what he has been up to lately. Check out my interview below. Users without flash support can <a href="http://rockchoice.com/podcasts/caldwell-interview.mp3">click here</a> to listen to the interview. Having an older brother turn me on to this incredible music (Hard Rock and Heavy Metal) that I love so much has allowed me the opportunity to discover amazing bands that weren’t necessarily main stream acts but none the less just as good or even better than the bands that got regular rotation on rock radio, Captain Beyond was definitely one of those bands. Captain Beyond was and still is some of the best Progressive Hard Rock music I have ever heard and the bands drummer, Bobby Caldwell is one of my all time favorite masters of the skins. Bobby Caldwell born October 6th, 1951 started playing at a very young age (around 10 years old) and at the age of 14 soon found himself involved with a local Tampa, Florida band called Noah’s Ark that signed with Decca Records. Noah’s Ark found some local success but Bobby’s first big break came at the age of 19 when he was asked to join Blues/Rock legend Johnny Winter and his group called Johnny Winter And. Bobby toured with Johnny Winter And extensively around the world and a live performance from an East coast show was caught on tape and released in 1971 as Johnny Winter And Live. Bobby also toured with the Allman Brothers Band and can be heard playing drums and percussion on their historic album, The Allman Brothers, Live at the Filmore East. While playing with these legendary bands, Bobby had a different kind of music in his head, a vision of something more aggressive and progressive, something that would really allow him to incorporate his ideas of what rock music should sound like and Captain Beyond was just the band to achieve that. Formed from members of Deep Purple, Iron Butterfly and Johnny Winter, Captain Beyond was a true ‘Supergroup’ in every sense of the term. <div style="text-align: center;"><object classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" width="480" height="385" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always" /><param name="src" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/WFfzUdNjwQc&hl=en_US&fs=1&" /><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true" /><embed type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="480" height="385" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/WFfzUdNjwQc&hl=en_US&fs=1&" [...] Drummer Bobby Caldwell has played with legendary Blues/Rock guitarist Johnny Winter, The Allman Brothers, Rick Derringer, the band Armageddon and was the creative force and drummer for the amazing Progressive Hard Rock band Captain Beyond. Learn [...] Revolver Magazine’s Golden Gods Awards Winners http://rockchoice.com/revolver-magazines-golden-gods-awards-winners http://rockchoice.com/revolver-magazines-golden-gods-awards-winners#comments Tue, 20 Apr 2010 02:53:12 +0000 SpaceTrucker http://rockchoice.com/?p=5632 http://rockchoice.com/revolver-magazines-golden-gods-awards-winners/feed 0 <div id="attachment_5683" class="wp-caption alignright" style="width: 240px"><img class="size-medium wp-image-5683" title="BorisVallejo" src="http://rockchoice.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/BorisVallejo-230x300.jpg" alt="Golden Gods Awards" width="230" height="300" />Golden Gods Awards</div> Revolver, America’s leading hard rock magazine hosted the 2nd annual Revolver Golden Gods Awards presented by Epiphone. The Hard Rock and Heavy Metal music awards show hosted by Chris Jericho (WWE, Fozzy) and Andrew W.K. announced this year’s winners last night at Club Nokia in Downtown Los Angeles. The Revolver Golden Gods Awards will be broadcast on VH1 Classic on May 22. Revolver will release its Golden Gods issue of the magazine on May 11. It will include exclusive behind-the-scenes photos, interviews, and a massive all-star gatefold cover. <div style="text-align: center;"><object classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" width="350" height="283" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always" /><param name="src" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/na4gEpNOcjw&color1=0xb1b1b1&color2=0xd0d0d0&hl=en_US&feature=player_embedded&fs=1" /><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true" /><embed type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="350" height="283" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/na4gEpNOcjw&color1=0xb1b1b1&color2=0xd0d0d0&hl=en_US&feature=player_embedded&fs=1" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object></div> Live performances included: <ul> <li> Slash, Lemmy Kilmister and Dave Grohl, who joined together to perform the Motörhead classic “Ace of Spades.”</li> <li>Slash, who also teamed with special guests Lemmy, Andrew Stockdale of Wolfmother and Myles Kennedy of Alter Bridge.</li> <li>Black Label Society leader Zakk Wylde, who performed a metal version of the National Anthem alongside United States Marines.</li> <li>Rob Zombie in his first show with new touring drummer Joey Jordison.</li> <li>Fear Factory, in their first LA appearance with their new lineup.</li> <li>As I Lay Dying</li> <li>The Devil Wears Prada</li> <li>Brian Posehn’s all-star band featuring Scott Ian, Brendon Small of Dethklok and TV’s “Metalocalypse,” Brett Anderson, John Tempesta, formerly of White Zombie, and Joey Vera of Armored Saint.</li> </ul> <div style="text-align: center;"><object classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" width="350" height="283" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always" /><param name="src" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/ykMzoUZBN9s&color1=0xb1b1b1&color2=0xd0d0d0&hl=en_US&feature=player_embedded&fs=1" /><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true" /><embed type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="350" height="283" [...] The Revolver 2nd Annual Golden Gods Awards presented by Epiphone took place Thursday April 8th, 2010 at the Nokia Theater in downtown Los Angeles, Ca and was a huge success. See who won at this years event. I can't wail until next year.