Butcher Babies Release A Monster In Goliath

How many times have you looked through a magazine or on the internet and saw a band fronted by a sexy female and automatically went into Beavis and Butthead mode? Well, a hot chick and boobs will only get your band so far in the industry. The Butcher Babies have been fighting this stigma since their inception in. They know that the true talent tends to rise to the top and develop legs to help maintain a long career in music. Their debut album debut album Goliath is about to be unleashed on the world. Will it be a step in the right direction in the development of those legs? Let’s take a look, or should I say listen and see.

Lead singers Carla Harvey and Heidi Shepherd did garner a lot of attention early in the career of the Butcher Babies for their nipple tape and outrageous stage shows, but these two ladies have the brains to back up their beauty. Their self-titled EP was released in 2012 and word began to spread. The last six to eight months have seen several keys pieces of the puzzle of their career come together as they signed with Century Media and began work on their debut album as well being picked by Marilyn Manson himself to open dates on his tour earlier this year. The buzz really started to grow for this new album as the band announced that they would be performing on this year’s Rockstar Mayhem festival.

The album opens with “I Smell a Massacre” and goes from 0 to 80 in about three seconds as the riff starts and is accompanied by a huge scream that grabs you  by the throat lets you know you are about to get served. It’s a great lead-off track that sets the bar for what lies ahead.  “Magnolia Blvd.” is another healthy dose of in your face attitude and features a crazy mix of vocals that run the gauntlet from screaming to clean vocals to a bit of spoken as well. It also contains some pretty insane double kick drum from Chris Warner as well.

“C8H18 (Gasoline)” is one of my favorite tracks on the album as it brings together all the elements for the musical perfect storm. The riff is big chugs along and the chorus is catchy as hell with its use of clean vocals.  Another track that stands out is “Dead Poet” with its unusual arrangement, which begins and ends with sounds of a storm. In between those moments, the tempo goes from full throttle in your face to almost a complete stop with a short spoken passage before slamming the pedal to the floor again. It’s a very clever and unique arrangement that really makes this track standout. “Axe Wound” will also throw you completely off track with its acoustic guitar intro before tearing into some massive riffs.

Overall, I think the band delivers in a major way with this album. It’s intense, aggressive, and heavy and the riffs, provided by Henry Flury, are catchy and plentiful without sounding redundant. Carla and Heidi take the dual lead vocalist to a different level with their creative mix of screams and clean vocals. The rhythm section of Chris Warner on drums and bassist Jason Klein provide a strong, underlying layer to the Butcher Babies sound that may go under appreciated by some due to the two dynamic ladies garnering so much attention. Warner and Klein lay the foundation to which this might house of metal is built on.

This album was one of the most anticipated for the summer of 2013 and I think it delivers in a major way. I do admit that I wish “Mr. Slowdeath” would have been included on it. Hopefully, some of the haters out there or those with pre-conceived notions of the band will give this album a listen with an open mind; I think many will be converted over if they do. Then again, I don’t think the band really cares because as long as there are haters out there, then you know that you are definitely doing something right.

2012 Rock On The Range: Bigger and Badder Than Ever

Rock on the Range has become one of the premier festivals in music in its short existence and Columbus, Ohio definitely knows how to throw a party. It spanned two days, 40 bands and a total of 24 hours of music. This year’s event ran from May 19 and 20 and thousands of rockers showed up to rock out and hopefully get to meet their favorite band. It was hosted by Jose Mangin from Sirius XM/Headbangers Ball and also saw an appearance from radio personality Lou Brutus.

It only took a few hours in the blistering sun before many were questioning why they didn’t bring some sunscreen with them. The high temps combined with an abundance of cold beer provoked a lot of nudity from both males and females all day long. The side stages were sponsored by FYE and Jagermeister and they kicked off the festivities each day at 11:30.

On Saturday, the smaller Jagermeister stage saw stellar performances from Las Vegas’ own Otherwise on their first trip to Rock on the Range. In This Moment unveiled brand new music from their forthcoming album Blood to their Iron Army who was out in full force that day. The FYE stage saw great performances from New Medicine as well as P.O.D. and lots of people getting insane in the membrane with Cypress Hill.

The main stage on Saturday saw Lzzy Hales and her boys, better known as Halestorm, deliver rocking set that focused heavily on songs from their new album The Strange Case Of. Lzzy definitely knows how to command a crowd and had the huge crowd in her control. Five Finger Death Punch had the biggest sea of crowd surfers again this year and that didn’t surprise anyone at all. Ivan even pulled some young kids up on stage to rock out with the band. Ivan also has to be one of the best frontmen around these days. He really got the crowd all fired up!

Brent Smith and Shinedown were next to last on the main stage and delivered a set that was all killer and no filler. Their radio hits were all there, “Second Chance”, “45”, “If You Only Knew” and “Bully”. Incubus closed out day one with an impressive set, but many in attendance didn’t understand why Shinedown didn’t close the day. Brent seems to be in the best shape of his life these days and his voice was superb.

Day two saw more high temps and plenty of blistered skin everywhere. The Jagermeister stage was rocked hard all day from such acts as former American Idol contestant James Durbin as well as Lacuna Coil, who not only made their ROTR debut but they also headlined the Jager stage. The crowd was huge for their set and lead singers Cristina Scabbia and Andrea Ferro showed why their fan base has been continuously growing here in the states. They delivered a tight set and sounded amazing!

The FYE stage on Sunday rocked out hard when Trivium took the stage for their ROTR debut. Matt Heafy and the rest of his band showed why they were a standout at Mayhem last year. This is a band that you definitely need to see live to fully appreciate what they have to offer. Headlining the FYW was the thrash pioneers Anthrax and they unveiled their new “bare bones, guerilla” performance.  It’s a high-energy, barrage of song after song after song. Scott Ian and Joey Belladonna left the crown exhausted and in need of a cigarette after their insane set.

The main stage rocked out hard all day long with performances from Escape the Fate, the Darkness and Mastodon. Megadeth, another thrash pioneer, worked over the crowd with songs from their lengthy arsenal. Lead singer Dave Mustaine sounded great, but at times he appeared to be in pain as his movements were very limited. Marilyn Manson made his ROTR debut and seemed more interested in trying to shock people than in delivering a solid performance. He did everything from turning his band on the crowd as he stood there and sang to spitting beer at the photographers in the pit.

ROTR favorite Rob Zombie returned this year to close out the day and he brought his A game with him. The event is one of his favorites to play and he always loads up his arsenal with special goodies just for the show. Guitarist extraordinaire John 5 was by his side and they delivered a fun hit filled set that was over the top with pyro and lights and strange creatures roaming the stage. Rob always delivers a fun-filled set and gives you your money’s worth.

The days were long and tiring and left most in attendance with a feeling of having experienced their best weekend ever. The numerous signings gave fans numerous chances to get a signed 8x10 of their favorite band. The heat and the alcohol saw fans dropping like flies all day long, which is one thing I have never understood. Why pay all that good, hard earned money to get drunk and pass out? Overall, the 2012 Rock on the Range was a success and the planning starts now to see how they can top it next year.

John 5 Peels Back Another Creative Layer On His New Abum

John 5 has just released his newest solo album and as always, he is keeping his fans on their toes. This is a musician who continues to peel away creative layer after creative layer, almost re-inventing himself each time. God Told Me To is his newest solo effort and it’s a feast for the senses. If you think you knew everything about this guy, this album will prove you wrong.

The album was produced by John 5 long with Chris Baseford (Rob Zombie/Tommy Lee) and Bob Marlette (Sebastian Bach/Black Sabbath). It’s is an all instrumental effort with John 5 playing all instruments with the exception of drums. The first track, “Welcome to Violence”, opens with a lady saying “Play the guitar, play it again my Johnny” and then the crash of the strings as the assault begins. How does a mere mortal riff like this without peeling the skin away from his fingertips? What a way to open the album!

His cover of Michael Jackson’s “Beat It” is up next and was released digitally about a year ago, so I am sure a lot of people are already familiar with it. John 5 pays tribute to the great Eddie Van Halen but laying down a spot-on recreation of his solo on that song. I thought it was a very nice touch by John 5 to do so, instead of re-working the classic solo and taking away from its legacy.

 The first surprise comes on track three entitled “Ashland Bump”, as it’s an acoustic, bluesy number. A great change of pace and styles and is one mother plucker of a song. “The Castle” is another acoustic number and shows that John 5 can shred acoustically just as he does electrically. I don’t think I have ever heard a musician play an acoustic guitar so fast.

“The Hill of the Seven Jackals” head back to familiar ground for fans and the shredding is back at full force. One of more interesting tracks on the album is the Spanish flavored “Noche Acosador”. I almost felt as if I was watching a Quentin Tarantino and a bunch of outlaws were sitting around a table, exchanging stories with this music being the accompanying track. I love this track and two major thumbs up for John 5 stepping outside of what is probably expected on a solo album of his and do this song.

The last two tracks, “The Lie You Live” and “Creepy Crawler”, are acoustic numbers that are the complete antithesis of songs such as the album’s opener. Each of these tracks show a side of John 5 that is such a drastic departure from the kabuki faced axe warrior that we see alongside Rob Zombie on-stage. These tracks are beautiful, somber compositions that show the diversity of a truly gifted artist whose guitar is an extension of himself. These two tracks totally blew me away and just added another layer this insanely talented and gifted artist.

So, this new solo effort one half acoustic and half electric and switches back and forth on here. John 5 is becoming one of the guitar greats of this time. He is influencing a whole new generation of guitar players and this album will be a great eye and mind opener for many of them. Don’t be afraid to try new things and expand yourself as an artist. It’s a key in maintaining longevity in the industry today. This album tapped into several new keys in his guitar arsenal. What will he do next?

John 5: From KISS to Universal Monsters

John 5 is one of those artists that you don’t know what to expect before your first meeting. He’s obviously an insanely talented guitarist with a resume a mile long. He’s worked with Marilyn Manson, David Lee Roth, Meatloaf, Paul Stanley of KISS, Saliva, k.d. lang, Salt-N-Pepa and many more. His job for the past few years has been with Rob Zombie and the two of them have something magical going on.

In between touring with Rob Zombie and writing songs for other artists, John 5 even finds time for a solo career. His new solo effort God Told Me To just came out and we had the chance to sit down and talk to him about it.

Music Is My Drug Of Choice: Hey John, thanks for working us into your busy schedule. I guess this is media day for you. I know you have a lot on your plate today, so let’s jump right into the questions here. Let’s talk a little bit about this new solo album and the new direction that you chose for some of the songs.

John 5: Well, thanks for wanting to talk to me. You know, the whole key to putting out instrumental solo albums is to keep the fans on their toes. I’ve done heavy rock to country and it has gone really well for me. So, I asked myself what I could do to change it up and make it new. That’s where the acoustic stuff came into play.

MIMDOC: Have you been a fan of acoustic music already or was this something that you just wanted to explore?

John 5: I absolutely love electric guitar, but some of my favorite (Led) Zeppelin stuff is their acoustic stuff. It’s absolutely amazing! I love all types of guitar playing. When I put my iPod on shuffle, it has so much diversity, but that’s just who I am.

MIMDOC: Did you work with anyone on this album?

John 5: No, I pretty much did everything on it. I played all the instruments with the exception of drums. My producer Chris Baseford helped me out. Other than that, it’s all me!

MIMDOC: What’s the appeal of going out and doing a solo album after getting off the road with Rob Zombie?

John 5: It’s a great outlet for me and almost therapeutic. Crazy, instrumental guitar music is close to my heart and so very important to me. It allows me a canvas to paint on and to do things I can necessarily do with Rob. He doesn’t want every other bar on his song being a solo.

MIMDOC: Will your fans ever have a chance to hear any of this live?

John 5: I don’t think I will be doing and live dates, but you never know. It’s tough because a lot of my fans are really young and they can’t get into some of these clubs. It’s really late when we go on, sometimes close to midnight and there’s beer everywhere. My younger fans can’t always be a part of that. I will probably go more guitar clinics. They seem to be the best way to go. My younger fans can come to them and I have more time to meet people there and sign autographs.

MIMDOC: I have to ask you about the title of the album. Is there any hidden meaning there?

John 5: I love the title and it can be taken many ways. When I was really young, I would only go to church once or twice a year, like on Christmas Eve, and I would pray for God to make me a successful guitar player. So, in one way, when I’m asked on why I picked up a guitar, it’s because God told me to. On the other hand, I just love it in one of those creepy movies where a guy murders a bunch of people and they ask him why and he says “God told me to”.

MIMDOC: The cover is really cool! So, did you ask Rob to paint it for you or was it something that he offered to do?

John 5: I actually approached him asked him what he thought about painting the cover to the new solo album. He said that he’d love to do it. It’s as simple as that!

MIMDOC: Speaking of Rob, how was it scoring his film The Lords of Salem? Was that your first score?

John 5: That’s the first full length movie that I have scored. I’ve actually done pieces of other movies. It was actually very challenging for me. It’s so different to create music using so many different instruments, but I loved it. It pushed me as an artist.

MIMDOC: That’s a great transition for my next question. Your first solo album called Vertigo came out in 2004. How does the artist who created that album differ from the artist that created God Told Me To?

John 5: Wow, that’s a really good question. I remember when I starting recording Vertigo, I wanted it to be all instrumental, but I was very careful. I held back from doing things at times, but now if I want to put in a crazy solo or two, I will. I think there are some really good songs on Vertigo; very well structured.

MIMDOC: Where did the fascination with horror and the face makeup come from? I know you’re a big KISS fan and especially Ace Frehley.

John 5: Well, I have loved classic monsters since I was really young. You know, Dracula, Frankenstein and stuff. I remember buying KISS’ Love Gun album just because of the cover. That was the first album that I ever bought. It was awesome! That picture reminded me of those monsters that I loved.

MIMDOC: I’m a huge KISS fan too and I wanted to ask how you ended up working on the last Paul Stanley solo album Live to Win?

John 5: I’ve known Paul and Gene for quite a while now, as well as Peter and Ace. Paul was working on his solo album with Desmond Child and I had worked with Desmond when he was recording with Meatloaf. He suggested to Paul that we write something together and we did. KISS has definitely been a major influence on me. When an artist goes on stage to entertain, then they need to go all out and make sure that they entertain the crowd completely. Those guys are just about the best example of how to do that correctly!

MIMDOC: One last question for you John and we’ll wrap this up so that you can get back to work. Do you have any guilty pleasures that may surprise your fans?

John 5: Well, I’m not sure how much it will surprise them, but I do love those old horror movies with Frankenstein and Dracula and all those guys. I always watch about 20 minutes or so of one of those old movies before I go to bed, each and every night.

MIMDOC: That wraps up our time with you John. Thanks again so much for taking time out of your very busy schedule to talk with us. We plan on being at Rock on the Range in Columbus this year covering the show, so we will see you there. We also want to remind fans that your new solo album God Told Me To is out and to go buy it!

M Lazar And Her Unique Artistic Vision

“We’re not here to take over the world. We’re the band that will create a new world for you to come join us in and escape,” M Lazar, September Mourning.

Enigma. Webster defines it as an inscrutable or mysterious person; something hard to understand or explain. Enter stage left one Emily Lazar; a multi-layered artist whose talents including being a writer, singer and model. She has modeled for and/or endorsed such companies as Draven, Coffin Case, Samson Microphones, Sourpuss Clothing, Lip Service and many more. She fronts an art project, not a band, called September Mourning. The story of M and her vision is one filled with ambition, hard work, strong women and comics. I recently sat down for a long and interesting chat with M about what ignites the creative beast inside of her.

Johnny: Hey M, it’s great to finally catch up with you. I know that you have been really busy as of late with September Mourning, but before we get into all of that, can you give the readers a brief introduction to who M Lazar is?

M/September Mourning: Who knows? I’m not even sure if I do! Well, I am a performer and I have been one since I started walking. I stepped on the stage for the first time at the age of 4 and I haven’t come off since. I have always been involved in the arts in some way. I have always been singing, dancing and modeling. I usually come up with the concepts of the shoots that I do too, such as with Draven shoes. I just love to put my own stamp on it.

Johnny: So, tell us about your project September Mourning.

M/September Mourning: Well, it’s definitely more than just a band, so I like to refer to it as my art project. It started out as a story of a girl who has her own alter bridge to cross. She is a strong female who is not always taken seriously, but she will punch your face off if she is pushed to it. I wanted to integrate music into the story since I am a musician. I hooked up with Marc Silvestri of Top Cow Comics about 4 ½ years ago and told him my idea. I picked Marc because when he describes female characters, they are empowered and strong, such as his character Witchblade. He loved the idea and asked if I had a band to provide the soundtrack to the story, so at that time I started putting one together.

Johnny: When you were piecing the band together, what kind of sound did you want to create?

M/September Mourning: I got in touch with Chris Egert who was an industrial kid that I had great chemistry with. I knew I wanted an industrial sound with a rock edge to it, but I really hate to put our sound in a box. I also worked with James Duran and Carley Coma and we cut some demos.

Johnny: Your sound has changed somewhat since those early demos; as well as your band mates. Was the musical change a conscious decision?

M/September Mourning: I believe that you have to grow as a group. The minute that you stop changing or morphing as an artist is a sign for you to break up or just stop because there is nothing left to do. Our current sound is popcore with a little electronic thrown in, but it’s still changing along with our band members and our look. We will definitely have all of those changes defined by next year. Our sound did change a bit from those first songs, which were more industrial. We didn’t release them, but we are going to go ahead and do so because a lot of fans discovered us back then because of them. O

Johnny: Those fans got a taste of those songs when you went out on tour with Marilyn Manson. How crazy of an opportunity was that for you?

M/September Mourning: It was like being blasted out of a cannon! We got that touring spot just 6 months after becoming a band. I think we did really well and it was definitely a blast. Manson is such an amazing artist both musically and visually and I learned so much from him.

Johnny: So, this project has been in the works for a few years now. You had a pretty major announcement at the San Diego ComiCon this year. Can you tell us more about that?

M/September Mourning: I am so excited about our project with MTV. We are putting together live action/animation webisodes that will depict the storyline of September Mourning. Each webisode will link together and they will contain our original music. They will be very interactive and the fans will drive the storyline. MTV Geek is just amazing and they really understand where we are coming from. They are very forward thinking and they get our vision and that really helps. Ultimately, this project is my life, it’s my child. My little goth/metal child.

Johnny: You just recently released a teaser video for a new song entitled “Children of Fate”. What a great song and a bit of a different direction for you. Also, on a visual level, it is quite striking. Can you elaborate a little bit on the whole package?

M/September Mourning: Well thank you! The reaction to it has been really great so far. First off, I am a huge Annie Lennox (Eurythmics) fan and I love watching 80s videos. I especially love her video for the song “Why”. I was inspired by that one and I wanted to show how our look and sound has evolved in the video. My look is more specific now and the video shows me evolving.

Johnny: When you write a song, such as “Children of Fate”, where does your inspiration come from?

M/September Mourning: I write alot of songs and I try to write one everyday; whether it’s just a verse or a hook or a complete song. I draw my inspiration from everything in life. I draw it from the guy I am dating and the way he smiles at me in the morning. I’m inspired by movies or seeing an artist perform and the crowd’s response or the taste of a chocolate chip cookie on my tongue. I have my dark periods too and I think that was because I was surrounded by so much death and trauma when I was little. My dad worked in an ER when I was 7 and I saw a lot of things that I shouldn’t have at that age.

Johnny: So, on a lighter note, do you have any guilty pleasures that would surprise your fans?

M/September Mourning: Well, I am a Scorpio, so I am an intense, sensual person; so some of those things can’t make it to print. Hmmmm, a guilty pleasure that’s printable? Well, I love science and quantum physics. I guess that makes me a nerd huh? I’m also a gamer and I love the new Batman Arkham City game. There’s also a new game coming out called Darkness 2 and I played a demo of it at ComiCon. The first one was banned in Singapore because it was so violent. It’s an all out gore fest and I love it!

Johnny: I would use many words to describe you, but nerd is definitely not one of them. You are such an active person and you definitely prove that there is a lot of brain there to compliment all of your beauty. I know at times your body must be exhausted, but your brain is still running at mach speed. How do you finally come down long enough to sleep?

M/September Mourning: It’s very hard to and that’s why I am usually an insomniac! I just recently learned how to shut it off thanks to meditation. I use to think that stuff was for “sandal wearing, granola crunching people” and not for me, but boy was I wrong! The very first time that I tried it, I was so chill that night. I do it now to help me stay centered, plus I have also learned how to just let things go too.

Johnny: Speaking of letting things go, as much as I hate to, I guess I should let you get back to the studio. I, for one, can’t wait to hear the new CD. I know you are shooting for the first quarter of 2012 for a release. Please keep us posted on your progress with that and thanks again for taking time out of your crazy schedule to talk with us. Is there anything that you would like to add in closing?

M/September Mourning: You’re quite welcome and thank you for wanting to talk to me. I do want to thank all of our fans, both old and new ones, who have stayed with us all this time and for passing us on to new listeners. We are a product of what you make us. Keep spreading the word and keep letting us know on Facebook what you think.