HIM Return To Basics

Ville Valo and HIM are back in a major way with a new album, new tour and a new found focus. Their new album Tears on Tape is a back to roots type of album that taps into the trademark HIM sounds that fans fell in love with from the beginning. Check out my interview with Ville for Rock Revolt Magazine as we discuss the new album, KISS and Hot Topic going corporate:

http://rockrevoltmagazine.com/Magazine/May2013/RockRevoltIssue4.html

Evanescence May Have Been Gone, But Their Fans Did Not Forget

They say absence makes the heart grow fonder. I am sure that Amy Lee from Evanescence was pondering that saying as she sat in her recording studio piecing together the bands’ third studio album. Would the teenage goth girls who looked up to her be all grown up now and out of that phase of their life? Would the industry welcome her back with open arms? A lot has changed since their last album; just look at Hot Topic!

Evanescence seemed to be an overnight sensation back in 2003 with their debut Fallen. Their songs were all over MTV, Amy was in almost every music magazine that you picked up and the band even won two Grammy Awards. Their follow-up in 2006, The Open Door, was also a huge seller for the band. Then, they just seemed to disappear. There have been many rumors floating around and dates of a new release were teased for quite some time. Early 2011 saw the first true signs of a new album forthcoming and the anticipation begin to grow among the fans.

The fans wishes were granted in October as the new self-titled album from Evanescence hit the stores. If the initial response to the first single “What You Want” was an indication of whether the fans missed the band, then they had nothing to worry about. The single blew up in a major way and has been all over MTV, the Sixx Sense Sideshow Countdown, radio and more!

The album is a good mix of styles that we expect from the band with each one woven around the incredible voice of Lee. There are several rock oriented songs on the album such as “Never Go Back” and “End of the Dream”. Each has that signature crunching guitar sound that you associate with the bands’ trademark sound.
“The Change” is a great song that shows exactly how Amy can start a song out slow and build on it with her powerful vocals. She just wraps her voice around it and cradles it until it’s ready to be unleashed at its full fury. “My Heart Is Broken” is another example, but this time she includes a beautiful piano intro to build off of.

There are two key tracks on the album that stand out for totally different reasons; other than the fact that they are both exceptional tracks. “Swimming Home” shows Amy dabbling in the electronica field on this very smooth and relaxing track that sounds unlike anything I have heard the band do before. The other track is the beautiful “Lost in Paradise”. Again, Amy’s piano skills are featured here and they compliment her emotional vocal delivery to the utmost. There is a soft, angelic like quality to her vocals that helps to accentuate the emotion in the lyrics. The addition of the string section on this song is almost brilliant and takes it to another level. The sheer beauty and emotion in the vocal delivery is enough to give you goosebumps.

This album was well worth the wait and it presents the band in a different light both musically and lyrically. The sound is more reminiscent of Fallen than of The Open Door, but they still manage to branch out and grow their sound. The lyrics are also a big surprise as they are not as dark as in the past. We all know that Amy wrote the last album from a darker point in her life, but this new album seems to be almost a total opposite as far as the writing goes.

A new band, a new album that debuted at number one on the Billboard Top 200 chart and a new tour has Evanescence feeling a huge wave of love from their fans. Don’t fret though, there’s still some goth left in her, it’s just matured and channeled in a different creative way.

The Chaotic Tales of Kelsey and The Chaos

Kelsey and The Chaos. Never has a name been more appropriate than with this young, upstart group. Chaos is definitely an accurate word to describe the last year for this four member band originating from the New York/Tri-state area. More has happened to them in a little over a year than happens to most new bands in their entire careers.

Lead singer Kelsey Merritt spoke to me recently to fill me in on all that has happened. "Well, the band was created by myself and our drummer, Nick Rotunno. We met at the Berklee College of Music. Brian Pascoe and Justin Stabler entered the picture a short time later and we had found all our parts. That was in January of 08 and we played our first gig in March of 08."

The band has definitely had its share of exposure also. They were part of MTV2s Battle of The Bands. "We saw it on a website called Addicted To Noise, which is an interactive site. We entered the contest which was to see who would be crowned the top band in New York City. It was judged by Chris Carrabba from Dashboard Confessional and Brendon Urie and Ryan Ross from Panic At The Disco. We did really good and placed in the top 5 and got some amazing works of praise from the judges."

That wasn't the only national exposure obtained by the group. They performed several dates on last year's Vans Warped Tour and were picked to open for Bret Michaels on his Rock Of Love Tour. "Opening for Bret and being in front of that big of a crowd, that was the point that I knew in my mind that this was what I really wanted to do with my life. I've been singing since I was 12 and I always knew I wanted to be a performer, but that was the moment that solidified it for me," said Kelsey.

The band released it's EP, "Against The Wall", in late 2008 and it was picked up by Hot Topic for distribution. The group's inspirations range from Pat Benatar and Joan Jett to more modern artists as No Doubt. One obvious comparison, given the sound and having such a visually captivating female front person, is Paramore. Kelsey commented," Wow! The comparison is very flattering, I'm honored by it, but we do want to stand out. Yeah, there are some similarities but we are also alot different too."

The band is currently on the road touring and will be on this years Vans Warped Tour. So, what does Kelsey see as the best and worst parts of touring? "The best would be , of course, doing what we love to do and that's play our music in front of people. Also, meeting our fans is really cool. Worst part? It would have to be having no actual home. It is kinda hard to take care of yourself when you don't have a stable environment."

Kelsey was then subjected to my question about being stuck on a desert island with only one cd, what would her cd of choice be? "I have to pick two. One would be the Kaiser Chiefs "Off With Their Heads" and the other would be Michael Buble "Time". Two different styles but I love them both."

I encourage people to pick up their EP at Hot Topic or on their page on MySpace. It contains only six songs, but it gives you a small taste of what the band is capable of. Songs such as the "You Can't Stop" and "Wrapped Around Your Finger" are stand out tracks that really showcase how amazingly tight the band sounds to be so early in their career. Kelsey is an amazing front person. Visually, yes she is stunning, but this young lady has some serious chops. She's not just another "gimmick" in this cash cow industry more concerned about cashing in on your talent today and not producing an artist with staying power. This band will be around for many more Warped Tours and their own headlining tour is not too far off in the horizon.