One Eyed Doll: A Feast For Your Senses

If you have never experienced a live show from One Eyed Doll, then you don't know what you are missing. This band is one of the most creative forces to hit the music scene in years. What's that? You say you're not familiar with the band? Well, have no fear because that's why I am here. I will give you a crash course on this amazing band and give you some insight on what they are all about. Check out my interview with them at:

http://www.rockrevoltmagazine.com/jan-feb-2013-rock-revolt-magazine/

OTEP's Final Studio Album Delivers

Check out my review of the new and last studio for OTEP called "Hydra". It's really going to catch some people off guard this time around.

http://www.rockrevoltmagazine.com/album-review-otep-hydra/

Sister Sin Prepare to Invade the US

Sweden and heavy metal are not always synonymous with each other. If you ask the average person what’s the first thing that comes to mind when they hear Sweden, they probably won’t mention metal. Sister Sin set out back in 2002 to change all of that. They were determined to rule the world with their old school style of 80s influenced metal and nothing would stop them, especially preconceived notions and stereotypes.

The band’s first album Switchblade Serenades created a minor buzz here in the states, but it caught on in a major way in their homeland of Sweden.  Their second album True Sound of the Underground saw the buzz grow here in the US as the band ventured out on the Hell Hath No Fury tour sponsored by Revolver that included other female fronted metal bands including In This Moment and Straight Line Stitch. The band later jumped onboard a tour with OTEP and One Eyed Doll that brought in many new fans.

I got to sit down with lead guitarist Jimmy Hiltula on the eve of the release of their anticipated third album with Victory Records Now and Forever to discuss their latest creation. “We’re very happy with how the album turned out. I think it’s kind of a different album in a way for us. I think it’s heavier and has a darker feeling to it than the others we have done. The songs are more diverse and more dynamic. We added different elements to them such as keyboard parts and even a piano. We wanted to create a different atmosphere on it and try to step out of our comfort zone.”

The album does have the feel that Jimmy mentioned, but it’s definitely plenty of what you would expect from the band. Such is the case with the first video released from the album entitled “End of Line”. “We chose that one because it had all the main ingredients of Sister Sin. The verses were pure Sister Sin, all the way. Then we threw in the thrashing guitar parts and the pounding drums. The tempo is fast and the chorus is melodic and dynamic, so the song was just a given for the first release.”

The album does have some surprises on it with a huge one being the band’s first ballad entitled “Morning After”. It’s a powerful song that will catch fans off guard as it begins with the delicate sound of a piano and Liv’s voice, with a string section also joining in. “We really wanted to do a ballad on this album, but we weren’t sure what to do. It’s not only our first ballad, but it’s actually a cover song too. We just kind of stumbled across the song on You Tube one day. It was originally done by Randy Piper’s Animal. We thought the melodies were really good and we felt that we could do something really special with it. I think Liv’s voice is very powerful in it and it really showcases her.”

The band has won fans over with their dynamic, high energy live show here in the US. Their first dates here in the states to support the new album will come in February of 2013 as they open for the iconic German rocker Doro. “We’re really excited to be hitting the road with her. We’ve done some previous things with her such as the cover of Motorhead’s “Rock N’ Roll”. We’ve also played a few times with her before, but this will be our first tour with her. She’s definitely one of our idols. The timing was perfect and it all just came together to be able to do the tour, so we can’t wait to hit the road with her.”

The touring cycle is a beast that’s tough to tame. The band travels from city to city in their home on wheels as they adapt to sleeping on a moving bed and being up all night and sleeping all day. Is touring the US any different than touring Sweden? “Well, the US packages that we have toured on seem to be really big. There are usually four or five national bands and maybe two local bands opening up. I would say that’s the biggest difference, unless it’s a big one day festival. The audiences are very similar, but the drives in the US from city to city can be very long. We sometimes have to travel thirty hours to the next show. The food is also a little different. When we first get to the US, we tend to eat a lot of burgers (laughs), but then we get tired of them. We love eating at Panera Bread and at Subway because we don’t have those in Sweden.”

It has to be a surreal kind of feeling to be a musician and go out on the road opening up for an artist who you have idolized or been influenced by such as Doro. It’s no secret that lead singer is a big fan of Doro as is the rest of the band, but Jimmy’s a guitar slinger. What influenced him to pick up that loaded six string years ago? “Metallica actually got me into playing the guitar. I didn’t necessarily think that Kirk (Hammett) and James (Hetfield) were guitar gods, but they did inspire me to learn to play. As far as my heroes go, first and foremost is Yngwie Malmsteen. I’d also have to say that Judas Priest is a big favorite of mine. Painkiller is one of my all-time favorite albums. You can’t get more metal than that! There are so many albums that influenced me too. The first WASP album, Motley Crue’s Shout at the Devil, the first Van Halen album, there are just too many to list here. The 80s was such a great period for metal.”

If you are a fan of 80s metal and haven’t checked out Sister Sin, then you don’t know what you are missing. The band’s influences run deep in the music of that era. The capture the feel and sound of the era and update it to make it sound current and not dated. Even if you are not a fan of 80s metal, Sister Sin has a lot to offer to rock any metal lovers speakers. Their new album is entitled Now and Forever and it is worthy of being cranked at least to 11, if not louder. 

Sister Sin: Sweden's Metal Export to America

The word Sweden brings to mind different things to different people. One may think Volvo or Swedish meatballs or even Dolph Lundgren, but one usually doesn’t think of metal. There’s a group from Gothenburg that are on their way to being the first thing that comes to mind when hear Sweden and they are kicking it old school metal style.

Sister Sin emerged on the scene in October of 2008 with their debut album Switchblade Serenades. The band gained a great deal of US exposure by touring with Motorhead and OTEP. Their follow up entitled True Sound of the Underground was released in 2010 and they have been tearing up the road in a major way here in the US. We were lucky to catch up with Sister Sin’s dynamic front woman Liv Jagrell recently to see how life on the road was going.

JP: Hey Liv, it’s great to talk with you today. I see you guys have just finished up the Revolver Hell Hath No Fury Tour with In This Moment, Straight Line Stitch and System Divide. How was it?

Liv: It was an amazing tour with amazing bands. We all had a lot of fun and we found friends for life, which always makes a tour so much better. We already miss all of those bands and their crews! I’m so happy to have been on a tour with such great females, it’s nice to have some women around you too, ha-ha.

JP: Do you have any memorable road stories, either good or bad, from the tour?

Liv: We have been very lucky most of the time on the tour except for some bad luck with the police pulling us over for nothing, four times in four days! Otherwise, this tour has gone smooth without major problems. Oh wait; we almost got stuck in the swamp close to Mississippi. The roads were all drowned in water and it was the middle of the night and suddenly, the road just disappeared and there was only water and fish jumping around. Very strange!

JP: How has your fan base here in the US changed since your last tour supporting your debut album?

Liv: We see new fans every time we tour here, so it’s getting better and better. We also have our “comebacks” that come to every tour that we do and that is so amazing. A band is nothing without its fans.

JP: Speaking of touring, you just started a tour with OTEP, Blackguard, Destrophy and One Eyed Doll. Tell us about that awesome tour package.

Liv: We have been out with OTEP once before, so that’s going to be fun. The rest of the bands seem like nice bands, so I think we are going to have a good time together. As for the music, I think it’s a good variety between all the bands and it should be a good crowd.


JP: You guys seem to constantly be on the road. What would you say are the good points and bad points of being out on the road?

Liv: I would say the best is being able to play live in front of new and old fans, that’s what we are living for. Nothing beats the feeling that you get on stage: nothing! The worst part is that you don’t get enough sleep, you eat bad food and you don’t have time to do stuff. I mean, you see a lot from the window of a van, but not so much more than that. Sometimes it would be fun to actually go out and enjoy the amazing nature or cities that we drive through.

JP: Ok Liv, that leads into my next question for you. How in the world do you manage to stay in such great shape when out on the road?

Liv: Thank you! Yeah, that’s one of the harder parts and one thing that I really miss being away from home is being able to work out. I try to hit the hotel’s fitness room pr swimming pool as often as I can on tour, but sometimes there’s just no time. I’m use to working out five days a week, so I get pretty cranky and start climbing the walls! I do manage to get a lot of energy out on stage; I’m not still for very long.

JP: If you do get any downtime, other than what you just mentioned, what do you guys try to do?

Liv: On the last tour, there was almost none, but hopefully on this new tour we will get some downtime. It would be fun to hit a movie or go out to a really nice dinner and for me, I would like to be dropped off at a mall; it’s much more fun to shop in the US! We are also talking about getting new tattoos and maybe going to a wrestling show.

JP: All of that time on the road can lead to mischief. Who is the practical jokester in the band?

Liv: I have three of them and believe me; they are not as funny as they will think! I still love them and I just shut my ears and let them have their fun. If I am tired, then I’ll be the bitch and yell to them to shut up!

JP: What’s next for Sister Sin?

Liv: This year we will mostly focus on touring. We would like to hit Europe for a longer tour also, but we have been planning to start to write new material and hopefully release a new album early next year.

JP: Liv, we appreciate the time that you took to speak with me and we encourage everyone to check you guys out on the current OTEP tour and your newest album True Sounds of the Underground.

Otep Shamaya Shares Her Artistic Vision

Artistic expression comes in many forms. Some channel their inner message and express it on a canvas with paint, while others may choose to put pen to paper. Otep Shamaya is an artist that assaults all of the senses when she expresses herself. Her latest creation is Otep’s thought provoking release Atavist. I had the privilege of catching up with Otep as she prepared for the release of her latest masterpiece.

Music Is My Drug Of Choice: There seems to have been a really good buzz generating about your new CD before its release. It’s been on many “Most Anticipated CDs of 2011” lists. How does that make you feel when you see and hear that?

Otep: It makes me feel very proud. I have had this record inside of me for over a year and couldn’t wait to let it out. We worked on it for a little over two and a half months and now it’s time to see if the people believe like I do.

Did you approach making this album any differently than in the past?

Well, I didn’t have a band for this one. I also worked with some very talented song writers. It’s very exciting for me to be able to write songs that I have always wanted to write. “Drunk (On the Blood of Saints)” has such a powerful groove to it. There is a special musical feel that you just can’t teach when it come to writing music. It was so awesome to work with Tony Campos from Static X. He is a very technical guitar player.

The first video from the CD is for the song “Fists Fall”. How much involvement did you have with it?

The concept of the video was my idea. I worked with Robby Starbuck and he did a great job of bringing my vision to life. It is a song about bullying, but it’s also about fighting for what you believe in. I asked myself who I would like to fight and I also ask the listener. It really doesn’t matter, just as long as you do fight for what is important.

You cover “Not to Touch the Earth” by the Doors. I can see a lot of similarities between yourself and Jim Morrison. How did this cover come about?

I have always been a big fan of Jim and of the Doors. They are one of the most innovative bands of all time. I was asked to record a cover for this album and this song really spoke to me. I wanted it to be as sterile as possible and still be very exciting to the overall album.

Your first album was recorded in 2002. How do you think you have grown since that debut?

Creatively, in the past, I didn’t know much about the industry or about creating records. I was at the mercy of my inner emotions, but I wanted to master them. Over time, I think I have achieved that. I feel that I am closer to those emotions, but the malices are still there. I do feel that I am a stronger writer and performer. We all have to evolve in order to survive.

You are such a creative person that I wanted to pose to you this rather different type of question. If I was deaf and you were given a blank canvas to illustrate your sound to me, how would you create that image?

It would be similar to a Jackson Pollock painting. I would take the canvass and put it over a large speaker. I would press play and start dropping paint on it as the music played. I would do this and let it paint itself.

Are you anxious to get back out on the road?

I love performing for my fans. Everything is being organized right now. The suits and agents are lining everything up. We are looking at the end of May or early June to hit the road. I appreciate all the support from the fans and can’t wait to see them.

Since this went to press, tour plans have been announced with Otep headlining with support from Sister Sin, Destrophy, Blackguard and One-Eyed Doll. This is a show not to be missed!

OTEP Delivers Strong On Atavist

If Otep Shamaya was a box of crayolas, then she would not be the small 8 count box. She would be the massive economy pack of 150. Her visions push the envelope of normalcy and she challenges you to think way outside of the box. She is a poet and a lyricist who is strong, opinionated, outspoken and a breath of fresh air from the divas dominating the radio.

OTEP is Otep Shamaya’s musical baby and one of her outlets for her strong, impressionistic visions. Her latest CD is entitled Atavist and there was a huge buzz growing over the months in anticipation of this release. It was included on numerous “Most Anticipated Releases of 2011”.

The second track, “Atom to Adam” really sets the tone for the CD. The intensity level on this song is off the charts both musically and lyrically. The inclusion of a Moby Dick reference really got me to thinking about the songs meaning of mind games and control. This song is similar in tone to “Warhead”.

“We Dream like Lions” is a slower, acoustic style song that really stands apart from the other tracks. It’s a beautiful song and its symbolism really helps to paint a picture in the listener’s mind. “Drunk on the Blood of Saints” has Otep reciting the verses in spoken form until the chorus on which she unleashes her growls. This song also contains one of the nastiest bass lines that I have ever heard.

“Fists Fall” is an epic track with an epic video to accompany it. An anti-bullying song that also doubles as a fight for what you believe in anthem. It doesn’t matter if you win the fight or if you lose it, just as long as you do fight for it. If this song doesn’t get you fired up and ready to go, then Red Bull just won’t do the trick.

“Baby’s Breath” is a track that is either a hit or miss; it’s not going to be for everyone. It’s one of two spoken word tracks in which Otep really reaches deep into a dark side that exists in some people. It’s a seven minute journey in voyeurism and violence with a twisted smile. Listening to this track in a dimly lit room with headphones on actually was a bit creepy for me.



“I Alone” is a standout track both musically and lyrically. You can almost feel the pain in the lyrics of being an individual and not wanting to fit in too what society deems as the “norm” This will hit home with a lot of Otep fans as she has always been a leader in the right to be who you are and not compromising. The final track is the cover of the Door’s “Not to Touch the Earth”. This is another that is either hit or miss. I really like their take on it and I think that Jim would be proud of it, but I can see where some fans of the original are just not going to get it.

Overall, I think it is a really good CD. There are some songs that are quite diverse from others on it. I like that it mixes things up instead of giving you twelve tracks of monotony. Otep switches back and forth on some tracks with her screams and clean vocals, but her growls are just as intense as ever. I really liked it upon the first listen, but with each subsequent listen, it makes an even deeper impact on me.

I would recommend spending the few extra dollars and getting the deluxe edition. It comes with a DVD that includes music videos, a film called “Baby’s Breath”, a segment where Otep talks about recording the CD and about each song and even more stuff. Otep and Victory Records really went all out on this deluxe version. This is way better than some CD/DVD sets that many established artists have tried to put out and came up short. Either way, this is a solid CD with some of the most intense imagery that I have come across in a very long time. Check it out, give it a couple of listens and expand your mind…..if you dare.