Jason Newsted Returns With Metal

Jason Newsted stepped into a spotlight after the tragic death of Metallica bassist Cliff Burton. He took over that spot on bass and was there when Metallica crossed over into mega-stardom. He abruptly left the band, but continued to make music. He recently returned to the spotlight with a new EP entitled Metal which is flavored in old-school Metallica that longtime fans crave. I sat down with Jason and talked to him about his new project, his paintings and the state of the music industry. You can read all about it here:

http://www.rockrevoltmagazine.com/jason-newsted-intervie/

Goatwhore Offer Up Blood For The Master

It seems like everyone has a band in their music collection whose name garners a look of confusion from those not familiar with their work. Well, Goatwhore is definitely one of those bands who receive a “deer in the headlights” look from unsuspecting people. The band heralds from New Orleans and although their music may not be as spicy as some of the Cajun food being cooked up there, it certainly has its spicy moments.

The band, formed by guitarist Sammy Duet back in 1997, released their debut album The Eclipse of Ages into Black” in 2000. They caught the attention of Ozzy and Sharon Osbourne and were enlisted for Ozzfest in both 2008 and 2010. They just unleashed a new album entitled Blood for the Master on Metal Blade records.

There are so many labels for music these days that you almost need a cross reference chart. The band gets categorized as blackened death metal by a lot of circles, but this album contains a lot of old school thrash elements to it. Upon first listen, you can hear bits of old school Metallica and Overkill, plus a touch of Anthrax throughout. The first track, “Collapse in Eternal Worth”, slams you right in your face. The combination of blistering riffs and the thudding drums and bass grabs you by the throat and shakes you.

“When Steel and Bone Meet” is a solid track that the entire band really hits their groove on. Lead singer Louis Falgoust gives a solid vocal performance on here with his throaty, abrasive style. His vocals come up flat and non convincing on some tracks, but this one is an exception. “Parasitic Scriptures of the Sacred World” keeps the musical assault going at full speed. I think this is along the same vein as the previous track, although Louis does push his vocals in attempts for a more sinister type of growl on parts of the song.

“An End of Nothing” is just sick from beginning to end and contains some insane fret work from Sammy Duet. This will be a song to bring to the live show as it will definitely get the pit going at maximum speed. This may be the strongest track on the album as the band is firing on all cylinders in its thrash assault. It’s just a shame that they don’t find this comfort zone on a consistent basis on here.

A major Wayne’s World “I’m Not Worthy” knod goes to guitarist Sammy Duet. This guy gets the MVP on this album for a solid track by track performance on the axe. His solos are blistering and insane, yet he manages to keep them original and fresh. Even on some of the weaker songs, he manages to be the glue that keeps them from falling apart.

Overall, it’s a good effort from the guys and shows a lot of growth by the band. It’s almost like driving a car on a trip and when you’re focused you stay in your lane. Yet, at times you may start to swerve into the other lane if you don’t pay close attention. At times this happens with the band and they come up flat. There are plenty of bright spots on the album too as the band shows growth and those tracks truly shine. This is what is needed to make this band stand out and excel ahead of others in their genre.

Scarlet Sins Show The Big Boys How To Rock

Scarlet Sins burst onto the metal scene with a vengeance with the release of their self-titled debut CD in September of 2007. The band, consisting of lead vocalist Sylvya NuVynska, guitarist Cristina Bishop, bassist Tanya Nicklaus and drummer Elie Bertrand, made the industry stand up and take notice. These ladies rock just as hard, if not harder, than most of the male dominated industry with Sylvya having a vocal style that in hands down one of the most amazing ever heard. I recently spoke with the ladies about their assault on the music industry.

JP: "I'm curious, you ladies definitely have a very seasoned sound, how long have you been playing?"

Sylvya: "Well, I have been singing since I was a little kid. I started taking vocal lessons at 13 it's something that I have done ever since."

Cris: "I started playing keys when I was 5 and have pretty much played any instrument I could get my hands on since then, but I fell in love with playing guitar in my early teens and haven't looked back."

Elie: "I've been playing drums for 14 years."

Tanya: "I've been playing an instrument for almost 10 years. I started off with guitar and switched over to bass about 3 years ago. As for singing, I've been doing that since I was a little kid."

JP: "Do you know the moment that you decided you wanted to pursue music?

Sylvya: "Music has always been in me. I knew it was something that I've always wanted to do from a really young age. Going to concerts with my older sister solidified it even more. I never had that specific moment; it was just always there.

Cris: "I can't remember. Music has been there my whole life, like eating and sleeping, so I am not sure."

Tanya: "I remember being cast as the main character in a school play when I was about 10 years old. I was dressed up in this little peasant dress and was sweeping the floor as I was belting out this song...I felt like I was on top of the world!"

Elie: "For me, there really wasn't a moment, it was always what I wanted to do. As far as I can remember, I never wanted to do anything else than rock the world."

JP: "Who are your musical influences?"

Cris: "Mozart, Metallica, A Perfect Circle, Alice In Chains and more recently Killswitch Engage and Lamb Of God."

Tanya: "I have so many influences but mostly all within the hard rock and metal genres. Some of my favorites include Tool, Deftones, Alice In Chains, Marilyn Manson, Lamb Of God, Korn, Black Sabbath and Arch Enemy."

Sylvya: "I grew up listening to hard rock and metal. Bands like Guns n' Roses, Motley Crue, Bon Jovi, Metallica, Aerosmith, Van Halen, Skid Row, AC/DC, Alice In Chains...the list goes on."

Elie: "I listen to alot of different styles of music from funk to metal to pop to house and I'm inspired by alot of drummers. Definitely Daniel Adair, Tomas Haake, Denis Chambers and John Bonham are direct influences to my style."

JP: "Do you think there is a double standard for women in the industry?"

Tanya: "I wouldn't say it's a double standard but it's definitely harder to be taken seriously as a woman in the hard rock/metal genre. People often assume that you suck before they even have given you a chance or even listen to your music, but I think we're slowly changing peoples perceptions, one person at a time!"

Elie: "It's part of the game. We deal with it and we have fun doing what we do."

JP: A very interesting choice to cover Depeche Mode's 'Strangelove', what made you do it?"

Tanya: "Cris and i were driving one day and we heard Depeche Mode's version the car. As soon as the lyrics 'I give in to sin' came up, we looked at each other and knew we had to do a remake of this song."

Cris: "At the time. we were toying around with the idea of throwing a remake on the album, but we didn't want to do a rock song. 'Strangelove' was perfect because we had so much room to play with it and it came together really fast."

JP: "Can you tell me a little bit about the following songs?"

"Drown" - Sylvya: "It's about someone that is falling apart and doesn't realize it, but the chorus is positive. I wrote it for a friend and just wanted that person to know that no one is ever alone in their problems and that i would never let them down."

"Reborn" - Sylvya: "This song was written by Cris and myself. To me, this song is about losing someone very close to you and they're not coming back to take you with them." Cris- "The lyrics I originally wrote for this song were about meeting your dream person while being stuck in a bad relationship and hoping for strength to make the right choice."

"With You" - Sylvya: "When I first heard Cris' guitar parts, I fell in love with them right away. As she played the riff, the words just poured right out of me. I wrote all the melodies and words in less than half an hour. It's a love song and when you're in love, it's o easy to write about it. At the time, that's how I felt.

JP: "What inspires you to write? Is it impulsive? Do you purposely sit down and try to write?"

Sylvya: "For me, I write best on impulse. If I have to sit there and think about it, I'm never really happy. My best writing just comes out of nowhere."

Cris: "Same goes for me. I get ideas at the oddest times or in the oddest places, like right when I'm waking up or when I'm on the subway."

JP: "What would you be doing if you were not playing music?"

Sylvya: "I'd be a drummer..LOL! I would love to design a rock and roll clothing line for tall people. I hate shopping because nothing ever fits me."

Cris: "Writing music instead?"

Tanya: "HA ha, I think Would be working at a boring office job for the rest of my life!"

Elie: "I would be miserable!"

JP: "Any chance of touring the US this year?"

Sylvya: "We would love to! Do you know any great booking agents that want to set up a tour for us?"

JP: "What animal best describes your personality? I know, it's a strange question!"

Sylvya: "I'd say an eagle. They are strong and independent and free. How amazing it would be to always see the world from above."

Elie: "A goldfish because I forget alot and I live in small places, i.e. my place, teh rehearsal hall, the van..ha ha!"

Tanya: "I have no idea what to reply to this! I've never compared myself to an animal. I've compared other people to animals though mind you."

Cris: "Hmmm, maybe a tiger?"


JP: "Is there someone that you would die to play live with?"

Sylvya: "There are so many bands that I would love to play live with. If I could only pick one, it would have to be Metallica."

Cris: "Metallica all the way!"

Elie: "Lamd Of God, Meshuggah and Guns -n Roses."

Tanya: "Probably Tool, I love their sound and they're amazing live. Just their lights and laser show alone is worth seeing them live."

JP: "Last question ladies: If you were stranded on a desert island with only one storebought CD, can't be downloaded or a mix CD, what would you want with you?"

Sylvya: "Scarlet Sins of course!"

Cris: "Metallica- 'Master Of Puppets.'

Elie: "'Nothing' by Meshuggah

Tanya: "Hmm, tough question, but I would probably choose Alice In Chains 'Dirt' because it's a phenomenal album from beginning to end."

The girls have had quite a run so far in their early careers. They have supported such acts as Buckcherry, Cyprus Hill and April Wine. They were also chosen from 600 Sonicbids to open for Motley Crue. They are currently in the studios writing material for their followup CD. These girls prove, without a shadow of a doubt, that the metal genre is not just for the boys. Their sound is tight and very mature to be such a young band. Cristina definitely can lay down some heavy riffs on guitar while Tanya provides a driving bass line throughout their songs. Elie is just a beast when it comes to pounding the skins. Then, there is Sylvya on lead vocals. Her voice contains so much raw power and emotion that she grabs you and demands your attention. Check them out for yourselves at www.myspace.com/scarletsins or at their official web page, www.scarletsinsonline.com.

Tallboy: Mixing Influences To Rock Hard

Oregon's Tallboy may be a new band to most people, but this young band brings a wealth of experience to the table that they rock out each and every night. Most members seem to have a family connection to their beginnings in music. Bassist Angel Alvarez used to watch his brother play and his aunt bought him his first bass when he was 14. Drummer Justin Bullen's grandfather bought him a drum set when he was only 7 years old. Lead guitarist Kevin Kaufman used to watch his dad play when he was growing up and was jealous of his skills. Now eleven years later, it's his dad who is envious of the skills that Kevin possesses. The exception to the family connection would be Vocalist and guitarist Carey Aubuchon who began as a jazz drummer in high school and then moved to guitar and started experimenting with singing.

The guys have been adding more shows so far in 2009 and seem to be on a roll. I asked them what the hardest and best part of their experience would be. Angel said,"The hardest part is having to have a normal job to pay the bills and not just hop on the road and tour like we want to. The best part is definitely finding people to support our dream." Carey responded with, "For me, the hardest part is commitments and family, but the best part about it is feeling like a rock star!"

Upon listening to their cd "No Hindsight For The Blind", it can easily be heard that these four guys are serious about putting their hearts and souls into this. Their style is aggressive , full speed ahead metal but there are also subtle elements that you can pick out from their personal influences. "My influences range from the Police to Killswitch Engage to Breaking Benjamin," said Justin. His bashing of the skins definitely gets your attention from the start and has your head banging with approval. "I would say my influences are Metallica, Death Cab For Cutie, " said Kevin. He definitely supplies some blistering guitar work throughout the cd.

Standout tracks on the cd include "Rearranged", which hooks you in just seconds into it and hs you rocking out in no time. "Insane" is a very high energy song. I think "Glass In Hand" is one of my two fave tracks. It starts out acoustically and then builds it momentum. My other fave is "Ignorance" which is very dark and melodic in the beginning and its intensity seems to build to the chorus. Their sound is definitely influenced by today's sound of such acts as Sevendust and Breaking Benjamin. They are a good mix of old school metal, ala Metallica, along with today's newer edge.

Are there any heroes or idols that they want to play with live? Kevin responded with, "Killswitch Engage definitely! I might have to bring many pairs of underwear. I would be like..."Oh my god, it's Adam D of Killswitch.......instant mess in my pants!"

My last question for the guys was what cd would you want to be stuck on a desert island with? For Angel it was anything by Bullet For My Valentine and Carey said Buddy Rich's Live Album. Justin's pick was "Menos El Eso" by Minus The Bear with Justin's being Killswitch Engage's "As Daylight Dies".

I do hope that I get a chance to see these guys play live soon. The cd is awesome and I recommend it to fans of hard rock and metal. I think their influences allow them to bring a wide range of contributions to their music and it can be heard throughout the cd. Give these hard rocking guys a chance, you will not be disappointed.