Edge of Paradise Raise The Bar On New EP

Perfect Shade of Black  is the new EP recently released by Edge of Paradise and it's going to shock quite a few people. If you think you know the band already, you may want to rethink that. Here's my review of their outstanding EP that I did for Rock Revolt Magazine:

http://rockrevoltmagazine.com/album-review-edge-of-paradise-perfect-shade-of-black/

The Rumbling Inside Of A Sound Of Thunder

A Sound of Thunder has really tapped into something on their new album Out of the Darkness. The reviews, including ours, have been screaming the praises of the band and garnering lots of attention for them. Their first video from the album, ”Murderous Horde”, exploded on YouTube and their newest video for the “tongue in cheek” song “Kill That Bitch” is doing the same. We decided to sit down with lead singer Nina Osegueda and guitarist Josh Schwartz to dig a little into what makes this band tick.

Music Is My Drug Of Choice: Hey guys! Thanks so much for taking the time to answer some questions for us so that we can let people know a little bit more about the group. What are the origins of the band?

A Sound of Thunder: (Josh) In 2008, I had been working pretty heavily on original music at home, but had not played guitar with a band in a long time. My first “testing of the waters” as far as getting back into a band situation was joining a local bar band called Crimson Burnout.  Chris (Haren) was the drummer in that band. They did mostly covers, but Chris and I both had a drive to do original material and Chris really liked my home demos. Crimson Burnout fell apart after only a few months and Chris and I immediately decided to start our own band and do only original material.

Music Is My Drug Of Choice: Nina, you weren’t in the original lineup of the band. I read that you joined in 2009. Did you find them or did they come looking for you?

A Sound of Thunder: I joined late in the summer of 2009. Creatively, I was in a slump and unhappy. I saw Josh’s as on Craigslist for a vocalist and decided to check them out. They had a video of themselves playing with a male vocalist, and I thought I love this music. I could definitely see myself singing with this band. We started exchanging emails and eventually, I went in for an audition. It was all good from there!

Music Is My Drug Of Choice: Let’s talk a bit about the reaction that you have been receiving to the new album. The reaction seems to be very positive, except for the occasional troll.

A Sound of Thunder: (Nina) It has been very overwhelming, but definitely not in a bad way! I’m just so amazed that people actually want to buy and listen to music that we’ve created. That’s the most incredible feeling in the world and I can’t thank our fans and supporters enough. You know what? Those occasional trolls aren’t so bad! I think the worse we’ve had is a guy who wanted to do inappropriate sexual things to me! So hey, why not consider it a compliment?

(Josh) It’s been overwhelming and has given us more confidence. On some level, we knew we were making good music that people would probably like, but you can’t really be sure until it’s out there and you get the feedback. Now, I think you can see and hear that boost in our live performances and also hopefully on our next album.

Music Is My Drug Of Choice: You released an album in 2011 entitled Metal Renaissance. How would you compare and/or contrast the new album with it?

A Sound of Thunder: (Nina) Unlike our first album, this was recorded and produced digitally. The result is a smoother, cleaner sound which allowed us to add more layers without much difficulty. Our songwriting wasn’t too much different for this album, except that we felt freer, creatively, to add different sounds.

(Josh) Metal Renaissance was recorded mostly on analog tape, which we chose because we wanted a vintage, classic sound. In reality, it put a lot of extra time and performance pressure on us because it just takes longer to do everything on tape. You can’t whip out as many takes waiting to get the perfect one. Working in ProTools for Out of the Darkness allowed us the freedom to experiment and add more layers to the recordings.

Music Is My Drug Of Choice: What can you tell me about the song “Calat Alhambra”? A song about Queen Isabella and Ferdinad may not be seen as “typical” metal material.

A Sound of Thunder: (Nina) Well, my mom is Catalan. This is an area of Spain with its own cultural identity, but I still identify myself as Spanish. Spain and its royal family have a great history and I love studying it. Isabella of Castille in particular is one of my favorite historical figures. She did a lot for both Europe and the Americas. Usually in metal, you hear a lot about warriors, but Isabella was a warrior queen who actually lived! She was vicious, yet today she’s well loved by many and even considered a saint. That, to me, is so interesting that it can’t help but inspire me to write.

Music Is My Drug Of Choice: Speaking of history, is it true that the band’s name came from the Ray Bradbury short story of the same name?

A Sound of Thunder: (Josh) Yes, the band is named the short story and not the supposedly awful movie adaptation; which I have never seen. There’s not a lot of deep meaning there, it just happens to be one of my favorite stories by one of my favorite authors. The title implied something loud, which of course we are! That added some additional meaning. I guess I’d say that Chris is the real “sound of thunder” in the band because his drum kit is too big and he hits too damn hard!

Music Is My Drug Of Choice: I know you probably get this question a lot, but can you share your influences with our readers?

A Sound of Thunder: (Josh) I’ve always been into music that was a bit before my time. In 1992 when I was 12, I got my first Ozzy tape and from there I worked my way backwards. I acquired literally every album by Black Sabbath, then Deep Purple, then Rainbow, Blue Oyster Cult, Iron Maiden, etc. I never really cared about what was popular at the time, which was Metallica and Megadeth, then Alice in Chains, Marilyn Manson, Fear Factory. None of that 90s metal influenced me because I refused to listen to it. I am kind of like an unfrozen caveman. I’m only 32, but I have the influences of a 50+ year old man!

(Nina) Personally, my metal influences aren’t always my influences when it comes to singing. I’ve heard people compare me to Halford and Dickinson, but the truth is I grew up singing gospel music and rhythm and blues. If I sound anything like them, it’s because we have some soul to our voice. Nowadays, I’ve developed a style that’s different from what I grew up with. I love classic metal, so more recently, Dickinson, Dio and Halford, plus a few oddballs like Udo and Doro have had their say in the style I’ve developed.

Music Is My Drug Of Choice: So, how did shooting your video for “Murderous Horde” go? Why did you pick that for the first video?

A Sound of Thunder: (Nina) We decided to “Murderous Horde” because it was one of those songs we felt a lot of people could get into. It’s dark, it’s doomy, but vocally I do several distinct changes. I like playing with what my voice can do, so “Murderous Horde” was a good chance to show that off. It’s also has those fast riffs and a fun solo that people love. The idea was born in Duy Tran’s brain, but I must admit that when Josh came to me with the idea of using a snake, my heart soared. Ever since Wayne’s World, I’ve wanted to be like Tia Carrere. Finally, my big chance!

Music Is My Drug Of Choice: Nina, it’s become more common for women to front metal bands than it was years ago. In your experience, is there still a stereotype in the industry as it being seen as a novelty thing? Is there a double standard?

A Sound of Thunder: Oh yes, there’s a huge stereotype that we’re a novelty. I hear people say, “I don’t usually go for female fronted metal, but….” And I know exactly why they say that. We’re used as novelties. You can see it whenever there’s a band where the girl lead singer is ten feet away from the band and the guys are out of focus. Personally, what I’d like to do is be part of the band. I love my band. I love the fact that we’re equals and we can bounce ideas off of each other. Even we get on each other’s nerves or someone doesn’t want to take someone else’s advice because of pride (which I’m guilty of, sorry Chris!), but at the end of the day we know that listening to each other is the smart thing to do. So what I’m doing is changing the standard by not just being the lead singer chick; I am a member of the ban.

(Josh) I’m going to chime in on this one and probably sound like a bit of a jerk! It appears that there are a lot of bands out there that make the decision,, “ok, we’re going to be a female fronted band”, so they picked a good looking front-woman who can hold a tune, but isn’t a great vocalist. I don’t know that for a fact, but it sure looks and sounds like it to me and I think that’s why people are so surprised when they hear Nina’s voice. We chose her because she was the best singer, not because she is a female. It wasn’t a marketing ploy. Yes, I think there is a double standard and most of it is due to engrained sexism, but some of it is also due to the wave of bands that are making an effort to market themselves as “female-fronted metal”. They have put forward singers who don’t really acquit themselves well in the tradition of great metal vocalists. I mean, we’re talking the genre of music that gave us Ronnie James Dio, Rob Halford and Bruce Dickinson…..the vocal bar is pretty high in metal!

Music Is My Drug Of Choice: Now, let’s shift gears and lighten the questions up a bit for your fans. Do you both remember the first album you ever bought?

A Sound of Thunder: (Nina) Disney’s Aladdin soundtrack. I was in Germany.

(Josh) Ozzy Osbourne and Randy Rhodes “Tribute”

Music Is My Drug Of Choice: Most underrated metal band from any era?

A Sound of Thunder: (Nina) I’d say Dream Evil, right now. People call them cheesy, which they are, but why can’t they be? They’re exceptional songwriters and their music is always catchy and fun, while still being very metal.

(Josh) Blue Oyster Cult. They’ve already got a lot of credit, but not as much as they deserve in my opinion. For me, Black Sabbath, Deep Purple and Blue Oyster Cult are great metal triumvirate of the 70s….and Led Zepplin’s for girls!!

Music Is My Drug Of Choice: Last question: You’re stranded on a desert island with only one store bought CD. What would you have to have with you?

A Sound of Thunder: (Nina) Accept “Blood of the Nations”. I will NEVER get tired of that!

(Josh) Man, that’s a really tough, maybe Iron maiden “The Final Frontier”. There’s so much amazing guitar work on that album and so many cool changes and textures on that disc that I don’t think I have fully absorbed it, even after two years and dozens of plays.

Music Is My Drug Of Choice: That wraps up our talk with A Sound of Thunder.  I strongly encourage everyone to pick up their latest album Out of the Darkness. It’s an awesome display of metal that will rock your face off. Check out our write-up in our reviews section.

A Sound of Thunder Emerge Out Of The Darkness On New Album

I just love it when I stumble upon a new group that I haven’t heard of before and they totally blow me away. The D.C. based metal band A Sound of Thunder did just that when I listened to the opening track on their new album Out of the Darkness. One song, that’s all it took for me to know that I was listening to something special.

The band consists of Jesse Keen on bass, Chris Haren on drums, John Schwartz on guitar and Nina Osegueda on vocals. I know, I know, you’re probably saying ‘Oh great, another female fronted metal band’, but this is different and so is Nina. The band has a sound that is familiar, but at the same time is a breath of fresh air. They combine killer riffs and pounding drums with catchy hooks and a vocal delivery that is out of this world.

The album opens with “The Day I Die” and you can immediately tell that this band was influenced by Black Sabbath. The guitar riff at the beginning of the song is very Sabbathesque with its dark and brooding feel. Then, Nina’s vocals kick in and you are totally floored. The sheer power and conviction of her voice commands your attention. The song has an awesome breakdown at the 5 minute mark where it really gets that early Sabbath vibe going. The song clocks in at over eight minutes in length, but it flows so smoothly that it never seems to get boring.

“The Nightwitch” has a cool little intro that sounds like something out of a Freddie Krueger movie. Nina’s vocal delivery is soft and gentle and you think you are in for a ballad. Then, guitarist Josh Schwartz shows up and kicks the door down with a hot riff and totally changes the landscape of the song. Josh really shines on this track throughout with some solid fretwork along with a smoking hot solo thrown in for good measure.



“Kill That Bitch” is, as twisted as this may sound, a fun little song that showcases a more playful side to the band. The plot is pretty simple: you’re with a girl and another girl wants you and for that to happen you just need to ‘kill that bitch for her’. The lyrics are tongue in cheek and not meant to be taken seriously…..I think. I couldn’t help but hear shades of Lzzy Hale from Halestorm in this song.

“Out of the Darkness” features a guest appearance by Raven vocalist/bassist John Gallagher. This song definitely screams old school metal reminiscent of the mighty Iron Maiden. The song kicks ass from the killer riff to kick it off to Nina’s powerful last note to end it. “Calat Alhambra” starts off with a nice piano intro and then shifts gears and the band flat out rock on this one. Again, it’s a throwback to the sound of Iron Maiden that would even have Mr. Dickinson throwing up his horns in approval.

“This Too Shall Pass” is a beautiful ballad that shows off the softer side of the band of vocalist Nina Osegueda. Her delivery brings out the raw emotion and feelings in the lyrics. The addition of a string section is a major bonus to the song and adds a wonderful layer to this already amazing song. It also shows the depth and versatility that this band has to offer.

I think this album is solid from beginning to end. Josh Schwartz is a beast on the guitar and displays some very interesting and unique riffs throughout the album. The rhythm section of Chris Haren on drums and Jesse Keen on bass is as tight and solid as any other unit in music today. Then there’s vocalist Nina Osegueda. This woman has so many guns in her arsenal. She embodies power, passion, sensitivity and aggression that a lot of singers would kill for. If Rob Halford and Bruce Dickinson had a love child, then she would definitely be it! Do yourself a favor and check this album out before the band blows up big. You need to jump on this bandwagon because it’s going to fill up quick!

Sloburn: Redneck Metal At It's Finest

Today’s music industry seems to be full of "flavor of the week " bands. It’s as if they are here one day and gone the next. It needs a shot of adrenalin to gets its heart beating fiercely again. Along comes a tight five piece unit from Danville, VA that does just that and with a vengeance.

Sloburn is the band’s name and they are the heralding in a new era of redneck metal. They just released their first full length self titled CD on Dark Harvest Records. The band consists of lead vocalist Shane Milam, Sly also on vocals, Sam Smith on lead guitar, Creepy on bass and drummer Brandon King. I spoke to them before a show recently to get some insight on the band.

"This new CD really captures our sound and what we’re all about. We had recorded a demo about two years ago, but we had only been together about five to seven months," said Shane.

"I think our sound has a definite eighties influence on the guitar and bass, but at the same time it has today’s styling on the vox and drums," mentioned Sly. The bands influences range from Pantera to Slayer to Black Sabbath and Iron Maiden. Sly and her stage presence are heavily influenced by the Stones.

The band prides itself on sounding different from track to track on their debut CD. "Bands today all seem to sound the same, they all have the same vocal style. On our CD, not one song sounds like the next," said Creepy.

"I think it’s pathetic how most of these groups sound all the same. They’re all just followers. I also think that they are out there for all the wrong reasons. They’re not true musicians putting out good music. They’re doing it because they think it’s cool," said Sam.

So, does having married husband and wife vocalists in the group present any obstacles? "I think it has many advantages. We get to spend time together and do something that we both love. I don’t get jealous of the girls, he can sign whatever they ask him to because I know he’s mine," said Sly.

"I think it’s great seeing the reaction on people’s faces when they hear her on stage. She has one hell of a growl. Most people can’t believe it’s her," said Shane.

I always like to ask the band being interviewed a question to find out about their favorite CD. If you were trapped on a desert and could have only one store bought CD with you, what would you want to have?

Shane – "That’s easy, Pantera’s ‘Vulgar Display of Power."
Sly – "Definitely the Stones ‘Jumping Jack Flash."
Sam – "Dokken’s ‘Back For The Attack’, I love that CD."
Creepy – "I’d have to go with some Creem, ‘Strange Brew."

Our interview ended with the band preparing to take the stage and show the crowd how the rock. The band is definitely more substance over style onstage. They have a backdrop with their logo on it and they keep it pretty simple onstage. It’s all about the music and the intensity that they bring along with it.

One of the things that I really like about the band is their use of Sly. She is a very charismatic entity on the stage, but they tend not to overdo it with her. There are a great number of bands that use a female front person as a gimmick. Sly is not shoved down your throats to the point that she seems like a gimmick. Yes, she is without a doubt, a very beautiful woman and her style onstage is a cross between Gwen Stefani and Joan Jett/Lita Ford. She also possesses one of the most intimidating growls that I think I have ever heard from a female artist and actually some men too.

The band stays focused onstage and there is great interaction between them and the crowd. Their music does make that difficult transition to the live stage with a fury. Shane’s vocal stylings bring a complimentary mix between melodic tones and piercing screams.

Their debut CD is a great look into bigger things to come for this group. The opening track, "Dark Fortress", has that Pantera influence from the opening notes. Shane and Sly have a very interesting dual vocal prowess on tracks such as "Bloodstains and Papermache" and a personal favorite of mine "Stuck."

A live crowd favorite "Country Boy" is a hard driving song in which Sam shows off his shredding skills on one of his many intense solos. Creepy and Brandon show why they are a very tight rhythm section on "Don’t Belong". This band is a very cohesive unit with each member bringing to the table a piece of this puzzle that, once all are firmly put in place, showcases why they are one to keep your eye on.

If you are a fan of hard driving rock in the vein of Pantera or Slipknot, then you need to check Sloburn out. Their Myspace page is
www.myspace.com/sloburnband. Stop by and check them out now and say that you were there from the early stages. Line up and allow yourself to get burnt!