Carolina Rebellion 2012 Halestorm Interview

Halestorm seem to have the midas touch right now. Their second studio album The Strange Case Of came out of the gate firing on all cylinders. It’s their highest debut so far in their career and biggest first week sales also and they just hit #1 with their single “Love Bites (So Do I)”. The album has been receiving praise from both fans and critics alike. They were on board to play the 2^nd annual Carolina Rebellion on May 5 in Rockingham, North Carolina. We caught up with Lzzy and the guys backstage after their set and got to talk for a few minutes.

Music Is My Drug Of Choice: Hey guys, thanks for giving us a few minutes back here. It’s almost as crazy back here as it is out there! What a crazy couple of weeks it’s been for you guys. Let’s talk a little bit about your new baby that you created. The Strange Case Of had a huge first week, you all must have been ecstatic?

Halestorm: We weren’t really sure what to expect. We had a great time making it and we’re so proud of it, so no matter what it does, it’s awesome in our minds. It’s our first time with a second record, so we didn’t know what would happen. To hear the finished product is awesome adnto be out here now and playing it for everyone is pretty awesome. We’re having a blast playing the new songs for everyone.

MIMDOC: I wanted to ask you if you have any say so in what time you play? It seems that you always play very early in the day. The same thing goes with this year’s Rock on the range. You play a very early set and a lot of people look at it and wonder why you’re not playing later in the day. Is there a method to the madness?

Halestorm: It really depends on the overall lineup and what else we may have going on that day. We just show up and play. If there is a method, nobody’s told me yet! (laughs)

MIMDOC: Your set list today was very heavy with songs from the new album. How hard is it to pick a set list on a show like this? Do you guys argue over what to play?

Halestorm: (laughs) We’ve got it down pretty good depending on the time slot and how much time’s available. We’ve been primarily a live band for what seems like forever. That’s where we live and that’s what we love to do, so we pick a set list and then we watch it. We see how things rise and fall with the crowd and then we tweak it along the way to make it better.

MIMDOC: Can I ask you about “Break In”? It is by far my favorite song on the album and like nothing you have done up to this point. It’s a beautiful and powerful song that seems very authentic in its delivery. Are you drawing from personal experience on this one?

(Lzzy): There are the select few people in my life  that I have let literally break into my heart and helped me be ok with just letting it all hang out whether it be on stage as a love song to the  fans or whether it be my guys. They literally told me to write whatever I feel on this record and not feel like I had to represent anything or one of them. When they tell me that, then of course, the flood gates open. Yeah, it’s a very personal song for me. It’s basically about the people very close to my life and it’s us against the world and thanks for letting me be me.

MIMDOC: It’s a beautiful song and I commend you for opening up and being so honest about yourself. It’s a very powerful song.

(Lzzy): Aw, thank you so much. I appreciate that a lot.

MIMDOC: I am being given the cue too wrap it up, so I guess we have time for one more question. “Private Parts” with James Michael on the deluxe edition; it’s another powerful song. How did that one come about?

Halestorm: Well, first off we love to write together. So, I ended up going to Nashville and I spent like five days with the guy and every time that we would try to get something done, he would be like why don’t we go out for a beer? We would go out and come back and get ready to work and then he would ask us if we were hungry. So, when it came to be the very last day, we were flying out the next day and we were like maybe we should try and finish this song. I had the concept for the song for a while and I wanted to write a song called “Private Parts”, but it could be a song that a mother could love. You know what I mean? So, he had this amazing idea to make it a duet and at the end of the day I told him dude, you have to do this on my record.  We racked our brains as to who we could get to sing it and we all just knew it had to be James. There you have it!

MIMDOC: Awesome! It’s another one of the stand out tracks on the album. Well, it looks like we are being motioned to wrap it up. You guys are in high demand back here, so I thank you for taking the time to talk with us. Congrats again on all the success that’s coming to you because it’s truly deserved. If you are reading this and you haven’t picked up Halestorm’s new album The Strange Case Of, what the heck are you waiting on? Go get it and crank it loud!

Carolina Rebellion 2012 Interview With Korn's Ray Luzier

Korn has been on the music scene for almost twenty years. There are a lot of bands who emerged with them in the early 90s who have fallen by the wayside. Korn’s popularity did falter a bit, but the last two years has seen resurgence in popularity. They second on the bill at this year’s Carolina Rebellion and we caught up to drummer Ray Luzier before their set.

Music Is My Drug Of Choice: Hey Ray, I appreciate you taking the time to sit down and talk with us on this crazy day. Let’s jump right into the questions because I know your set is coming up soon. The band seems to have caught its second wind in popularity in the last few years. I know you’ve only been in the band for five years, but you’ve probably noticed a difference in the crowds.

Korn:  It’s really cool to see a lot of younger kids showing up at the shows. Yeah, I’ve been with the guys for five years and the attendance has always been pretty decent but in the last couple of years we’ve seen different generations coming to the shows. I was talking to Nicko McBrain from Iron Maiden about this and he was saying how many different generations were going to Iron maiden shows because they have been around for so long. It’s a great thing to see that and to have a diehard fan base and have them introduce their kids to us is a pretty cool thing.

MIMDOC: The band doesn’t seem to want to depend on its past to get them by and you seem to have reinvented yourselves with the new album Path of Totality. That took a lot of people by surprise because of it being dub step and yet, it ended up winning the revolver Golden God Award for Album of the Year. How did that whole thing come about?

Korn: Korn has always had elements of hip hop and rap so to me, this is just them taking it to the extreme. Jonathan’s been a big dub step fan of the last couple of years, so it didn’t surprise me when he told us we were going to head in that direction. I didn’t know we were going to be doing a full blown album. Initially, it was only going to be a five song EP. He met with Skrillex and we were blown away with the sound that they made. You can’t do that with a guitar and a keyboard. From there, it just kind of snowballed.

MIMDOC: So, what’s up for you guys after today’s show? Are you still going to be on the road supporting the new album?

Korn: We finish this part of the tour on the 11^th and then we have a couple of weeks off. In June, we’re doing a resurgence of US dates of markets we haven’t hit yet. Then, we start doing crazy places like India and Budapest and Tel Aviv. It gets really gnarly around there. It’s cool to have a fan base like that. It’s definitely a worldwide thing. My very first tour with them was 35 countries in 4 months! I just learned that Korn has never been to India, so that’s going to be nuts because so many people have been waiting a very long time to see us.

MIMDOC: Ray, I know we need to wrap this up so that you can hit the stage, but I just wanted to ask if it was too early for you guys to be looking ahead to the next album.

Korn: Oh no, we’re always writing. Jonathan is like a mad man sometimes. We finish playing and get off stage and as soon as he hits the bus, he starts writing. We have a few songs already worked out, but it’s too early to know what direction we will take. We have three that sound kind of between Korn 3 and Path of Totality. Right now, we’re not on any kind of time frame, so we will have to wait and see.

MIMDOC: Fair enough! Ray thanks again for taking time out of this crazy day to talk to us. I know you have to gear up for your set. We look forward to seeing you guys out on stage winning this massive crowd over.  

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.

Lita Ford Attempts A Comeback On Living Like A Runaway

What were you doing when you were 16? Skipping school? Falling in love for the first time? Learning to drive a car? Starting your very first job? Well, if you were Lita Ford, you were joining an all girl band called The Runaways and making history. The band broke up in 1979 and Lita began her solo career. Her most successful album was 1988’s Lita and it made her an MTV favorite.

She stayed out of the limelight for quite a few years and made her return in 2009 with Wicked Wonderland. Here we are three years later and with a new label to call home and this iconic rocker is poised to bring the noise to a whole new generation. Her new album Living like a Runaway is set to be released on June 19 through SPV/Steamhammer Records. Lita promised late last year that this album was going to a “real comeback album” for her. Well, let’s see if it lives up to that promise.

The album kicks off with “Branded” and it definitely sounds like old school Lita. It’s one of the many songs on the album whose lyrics are very personal to Lita and touches on abuse, which she was experiencing in her previous marriage. My attention was captivated with the fourth track which is the title track. An autobiographical song in which it seems to focus more on the story telling aspect of the song, rather than just rocking out. A tender and delicate song about living on the edge and one of the best that Lita has ever recorded in her long career.

A Lita Ford album just wouldn’t be complete without a power ballad. “Mother” starts out as an acoustic number that just soars on both a musical and lyrical level. The guitars come cranking in on the solo and deliver in a big way before switching back to an acoustic finish. It was written for her two children after a nasty divorce from her former husband Jim Gillette. “Devil in My Head” is another great song with a great guitar riff that drives the song home.

“Asylum” has big 80s written all over it. You have to love the dual guitar wailing away on the solos in unison.  “A Song to Slit Your Wrists By” was written by Nikki Sixx of Motley Crue and is one of the more interesting ones on the album. It almost takes on a sort of industrial feel at times. I’m not sure if that’s how Nikki intended for the song to sound like or not. Lita said it was the ultimate good riddance song.

Lita recorded a killer version of the Elton John classic “The Bitch is Back”, complete with the Uptown Horns. Elton gave her his blessing to do the song and her version is pretty amazing. The only bad part is that it’s only available on the limited edition Digi-pak version as a bonus track. It’s too bad that it was included in the regular CD release as this song could have garnered a lot of media attention for her. Who knows? It may still do just that!

Lita is going through a major life transition with her divorce and fighting for custody of her two children. That emotional baggage is apparent in many of the songs on this album. She has stated that she was inspired for this album by Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon. It’s a musical journey in its entirety and not just a few individual songs. This album is much better than her comeback album Wicked Wonderland. It may not put her back on top like she was in the late 80s, but it’s a giant step toward regaining ground on that spot that she once held.

Over 30,000 Rock All Day Long At The 2012 Carolina Rebellion

The 2^nd annual Carolina Rebellion moved its stomping grounds to the Rockingham Speedway in North Carolina this year and the masses showed up to rock. It may have only been May the 5^th, but it felt like it was in the middle of July on the day of the show. Over 30,000 people showed up in the blistering heat and humidity and they were treated to a day of rock that they will long remember.

The gates opened at 9:00am and the people started rolling in by the carload to claim their spot in front of the three stages used. The smaller stage which was sponsored by Jagermeister showcased a lot of the newer bands on the bill including Ghosts of August who kicked off the day at 11:00am , New Medicine, Red, Redlight King and P.O.D., who are poised for a big comeback with a new album due out this summer.

The two bigger stages included the Carolina Stage and the Rebellion Stage, bet you would have never guessed that. These stages were sponsored by Monster Energy Drink. The crowds in front of stage went back further than the human eye could see. As the masses rocked out all day, they managed to stir up a small dust storm that slowly covered everyone who was there. Let’s not fail to mention the huge amount of crowd surfing that went on too. Those security guards definitely got a workout that day.

Weaving the Fate kicked off the bigger stages as they performed second on the bill, but it wasn’t until later when Halestorm took the stage that the crowd truly got fired up. Lzzy Hale and her boys kicked off their set with their #1 song “Love Bites (So Do I)”. Their set was heavy on new songs off of their new album The Strange Case Of. The only complaint being heard was that their set was too short.

I would have to say that Five Finger Death Punch got the award for lighting a fire underneath the crowd. The crowd erupted in a fury of energy when they hit the stage and lead singer Ivan Moody fed off of that energy. Their set saw the crowd surfing increase at least 100%. What an energetic and over the top set these guys put on.

Recently inducted Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Slash brought his right hand man Myles Kennedy with him to perform. He performed some of his solo material, but the biggest crowd reactions and sing-along’s came when he broke out the Guns and Roses classics such as “Sweet Child O’ Mine”. Myles has such a powerful voice and sounded amazing. He had many asking “Axl who?” As the sun went down, Evanescence took to the stage. Amy Lee has been somewhat of a stranger to North Carolina since the band’s debut album came out in 2003. Amy sounded great and treated the fans to a hit filled set.

Korn took the stage as the air began to cool, but they turned up the heat on-stage and delivered one of the best sets of the day. The mixed new songs with older classics such as “Falling Away From Me” as well as their cover of Pink Floyd’s “Another Brick in the Wall”. A surprise treat was when Brian “Head” Welch took the stage with the band for the first time in seven years and performed the classic track “Blind”.

The night ended with a stellar set from the band Shinedown. Brent Smith and the band took the stage and delivered in a big way to the crowd. “Sound of Madness”, “If You Only Knew” and “45” were just some songs from their hit heavy set. Newer songs from their latest album included the title track “Amaryllis”, “Unity” and the hit “Bully”. A powerful acoustic version was performed when Smith took center stage with guitarist Zach Myers. They closed with their smash “Second Chance”.

Several bands did meet and greets where the purchase of their CD was required to meet them. FYE had a tent set up to help out with this aspect of the day. Monster Energy Drink also had a tent set up and a few of the bands did a meet and greet where the band signed a promo 8x10 photo for the fans. It was a rare treat for many to get up close to some of the people that they adore and idolize.

Overall, it was a great show! The people who put the show together listened to the complaints from last year’s show and tried to remedy all of them. There was a lot more room for the fans to move around, there were plenty of water and plenty of food vendors. There was even a hint that it may move to a two day show next year, plus the Friday night campground show. This year’s show seems to be regarded as a success and the expansion to another day next year just seems inevitable.

Slash Returns To Rock And Roll Roots On Apocalyptic Love

There are many iconic musicians who can get by with using only one name. You have Sting, Bono, Cher and Prince. There’s also an iconic guitarist that needs to be added to that list. He’s almost as iconic for his black top hat and flowing dark hair as he is for his legendary riffs in Guns and Roses.

Saul Hudson, known to his fans as Slash, released his first solo album back in 2010 and it was received well by critics and fans alike. He had numerous guest vocalists on it including Ozzy Osbourne, Fergie of the Black Eyed Peas and the one and only Myles Kennedy. Slash took Miles out on the road with him to promote the album and the two formed a musical bond that was itching to get into the studio and start recording.

Apocalyptic Love is the product of that musical kinmanship between Slash and Myles. This album is so much different than his first solo album and I mean that in the best way. It’s stronger lyrically because of the excellent songwriting skills that Myles brings to the table. Also, the fact that Myles is the lone vocalist on this album allows the connection between the singer and lyrics to be presented in a stronger, more emotional delivery.

The album kicks off with the title track and the riff that’s layed down is a strong indicator that this is going to be more of a rock and roll freight train than Slash’s last effort. Myles kicks in with his insane vocal prowess and the bar is immediately raised from the last solo effort by Slash.

It doesn’t take long before you realize that Slash is playing with a renewed sense of urgency. Don’t get me wrong, he has always been an amazing guitar player, but Myles seems to have awoken a sleeping beast. It’s been quite a few years since Slash has played with this much passion and intensity.

Speaking of beasts, “Anastasia” is exactly that. What starts off as a beautiful acoustic piece, suddenly changes gears as Slash plugs in his electric and starts wailing away on it. This is, without a doubt, one of the greatest things he has created in his illustrious career. The vocal performance by Myles is so passionate and convincing and the harmonies on the chorus just take the song to another level. As far as solos go, it may be the best solo Slash has recorded since the Use Your Illusion sessions.

 If you’re looking for a powerful ballad, then look no further. “Far and Away” is just what the rock and blues doctor ordered. It’s a beautiful composition and Myles is just amazing. It has a bit of a bluesy flavor to it and Slash slows down the shredding to deliver a slower, yet just as powerful solo. Raise your lighters high in the air on this one; it will light up an entire arena.

Now, I know some of you out there just can’t get enough of the old Guns and Roses classics. Well, fret not metal heads because there are a few tracks on here that just may take you back in time to their heyday. I dare you to play “One Last Thrill” and “Shots Fired” and tell me that they don’t have that classic G-n-R flavor to them.

It’s really hard to find any major faults with this release. Slash and Myles have definitely raised the bar on this new release. The bond that developed between the two of them while out on tour is one of enormous magnitude. I can’t take anything away from the rest of the band either. The combination of Todd Kerns on bass and Brent Fitz on drums help to round out this lethal lineup.

I can’t wait to hear this material performed live. I hope that Slash will do a tour and not just play festivals. A headline tour of his own would allow for a longer set-list and more time to highlight this amazing piece of art. We’re almost mid-way through 2012 and Apocalyptic Love is one of the most solid releases to come out this year.    

Cult Sound Stronger Than Ever On Choice Of Weapon

The 80s are known as the decade of excess. It was a decade that didn’t take itself too seriously. There were plenty of questionable fashion choices as well as musical choices, but I think the decade gets a bad rap. There were so many awesome (no I’m not going to say totally) things that came from the 80s. On the music front, the Cult provided us with a sound quite different from the synth music at the front of the decade and the hair metal at the end of it. They were gritty rockers who delivered music of substance and power.

It’s hard to believe that it’s been over 25 years since their debut album Dreamtime was released. Well, the guys are back with a new album entitled Choice of Weapon which is produced by Chris Gross (Queens of the Stone Age) and Bob Rock. Fans of the band are familiar with Bob Rock as he has worked with the band numerous times including producing one of the band’s most popular albums Sonic Temple. It won’t take long to hear Rock’s touch on this album.

The album opens with “Honey from a Knife” which shows guitarist Billy Duffy in rare form. This guy just seems to get better with age and hasn’t lost a bit of his edge. There is a weird chorus chant of “we’ve got the drugs, we’ve got the drug, the drugs in here” which I can’t decide if I like it or not. You have to hear it to totally understand where I am coming from. It may be knit-picking, but I’m on the fence on that small inclusion.

I can’t help but wonder if “The Wolf” may have began as a demo during the recording of the Love album. It has a vibe that’s a bit similar to “She Sells Sanctuary” and could have easily come out of that same recording session. Needless to say, it’s an awesome track; a straight ahead rocker that has classic Cult written all over it.

Ian Astbury truly shines on “Lucifer”. If there’s one song on this album that truly reminded me why I fell in love with his voice almost 30 years ago, it would be this one. His voice is full of power and passion and just soars. Ian’s vocals sound stronger than ever. Ian even slows it down to show a different side of himself on the song “Life > Death”. It’s a power ballad for modern times whose arrangement is as multi-layered as Ian’s vocals are.

Overall, this is a very impressive album. The musicianship is top notch and a major two thumbs up to John Tempesta on drums and Chris Wyse on bass. These guys form a solid and tight rhythm section that fits perfectly with Ian and Duffy. The album contains traces of the classic Cult sound, but it doesn’t rely solely on that sound. The band sounds tight and on top of their game. There were quite a few amazing things that the 80s gave us and the Cult belongs right there on that list.