Ok, Time To Start Over...Again!

 

                        Deja Vu???

Ok, everyone! We're going to try this AGAIN! The blog is back, the Bill and Thunder Show is going to be back shortly as a podcast. As well as another podcast about True Crime, called Crimes, Killers, and Cults. Stay tuned, and hopefully, this attempt is the one that brings it back for good! 

I have been extremely busy as of late. I've been working alot, and I've released my own solo album called Legends Never Die. Check it out on Spotify. 

But, with Thunder coming back home soon to Florida, we're ready to take another crack at doing the show. (Once he gets his goofy ass back here)

Legends Never Die album cover

The Will and Thunder Show was what started it all back in 2014. The show ran through 2017, and went through several changes and names. I even tried to start a brand new podcast with other people, but it didn't work. So, you gotta go with what works, and Thunder and I worked. So, here we go! I changed my name to Bill because I released my music under my own name, and I plan on promoting my music on the podcast. (Duh!) 

If you're in a band and want your music reviewed or featured on the show, send me a bio and an mp3 copy of the album with artwork to willtelltale@gmail.com 

I'm ready for this to happen NOW! But, I have to wait. And, so do you. Patience is a virtue.

Concert Review: Iron Maiden, 7-18-19, Sunrise FL

Scream for me,

Ft Lauderdale!!!

Ok, I know I'm late to the party in terms of reviewing this concert. I will do better, I promise. I'm back and am going to resume reviewing albums, shows, etc on a regular basis. Now, on to the show! 

Iron Maiden has been my favorite band for most of my life, since I was first introduced to them in the early 80's. But, in all the concerts I've been to, I had NEVER seen Maiden! Shocking, I know. And it wasn't that I didn't want to. Life ALWAYS found a way to prevent me from going. On the Seventh Son of a Seventh Son tour, I had tickets. Something came up at the last minute, and I had to sell them. On Sept 7, 2013 (my birthday) my ex wife and I had just moved to North Carolina, and were broke from the move. What do I find out? Iron Maiden and Megadeth were playing in Raleigh ON MY BIRTHDAY! So, when the Legacy of the Beast tour was announced, I decided I was going and nothing was going to stop me this time.

So, I made it there. I was excited, obviously and was ready to see what I hoped would be the concert of a lifetime. I was out getting a beer when I heard Doctor Doctor by UFO come over the PA system. I knew it was time. I rushed back to my seat in time to hear Sir Winston Churchill's Never Surrender speech. I knew what was coming next. The place lit up with explosions and lights, as the band lept onstage and the iconic intro to Aces High blasted through the arena. A huge spitfire aircraft came down from the roof. It would dive, roll and scramble on cue, then go in again. It stayed there until the end of the second song, which was Where Eagles Dare. 

Rolling, Scrambling, Diving!

The first part of the set was war themed, and the stage reflected that, with changing backdrops featuring the various Eddie war artwork, explosions, and the camouflage terrain cover. Songs also included 2 Minutes 2 Midnight,  The Trooper, where Bruce Dickinson bested a 12 foot high Eddie in a red coat in a sword duel. That segment ended with a Blaze Bayley era song, The Clansman, which Bruce nailed, and made his own. 

The stage then changed to a cathedral type setting with stained glass windows featuring Iron Maiden artwork in them, as well as chandeliers. Religious songs followed, including Revelations, For the Greater Good of God, and another Blayze Bayley era song, Sign of the Cross. It also featured a revved up version of Flight of Icarus featuring Bruce with a flame thrower and a huge winged Icarus hanging from the roof. Although, this Icarus was more lucky than the one in the myth and the songs, because his wings did not turn to ashes. I think the fire marshal might have frowned on that one. 

You could feel the heat all the way up
in my crappy seats

That act finished with Number of the Beast, The Wicker Man, and Fear of the Dark, which featured Bruce creeping around the stage with a lantern, wearing a tattered cloak. Then, the classic single guitar lick from the song, Iron Maiden screeched through the speakers, and during the break in the song, the most terrifying super sized Eddie to date came up over the stage. The Legacy of the Beast Eddie was there for dinner. 

The Encore was The Evil That Men Do, Hallowed Be Thy Name, and Run to the Hills. They could have played 20 more songs, and I would have still loved every minute of it. I knew how amazing Iron Maiden was in concert, which is why I was so irritated that I had never gotten to see them. Was it worth the wait? I gotta say it was. It was in fact the best concert that I personally have ever seen, which is saying a lot because I've seen a lot of great concerts. And, judging by reading other reviews, this indeed was the best production the band, now in their 60's has ever done. They were energetic, bouncing around on stage like they did on the Powerslave tour. Bruce's voice was raw power throughout the show, Steve Harris's fingers were stronger than a weight lifter's femur, Nicko McBrain was all over the place like the playful puppy that he is, and the guitar trio of Dave Murray, Adrian Smith, and Janick Jers was tight as ever. The energy of the band was turned up to 11 as they rushed around from all sides of the stage from the first song to the last. They say they are going to keep pushing forward, and why not?

When you are the undisputed kings of heavy metal, you can do whatever you want. 

Movie Review, Godzillla: King of Monsters

Ohhh no! There goes

The Planet?

Well, here we are. Hollywood has tried its hand at a third Godzilla movie. And, I didn't care for the first two, as I mentioned in my review of the 2014 Godzilla movie. I watched the trailer for Godzilla: King of Monsters, and it looked not just good, it looked REALLY good. So, I went and saw the movie. What did I think of it? Keep reading.

Some spoilers

The movie starts off several years after the previous movie, and politicians are doing what they do best, and politicizing the fact that these monsters or Titans exist. You of course have one side wanting to weaponize them, and another wanting to eradicate them, Then, you have a group of people who want to use them to exterminate half of humanity because we are overpopulated and destroying the planet.

Amateurs! Amateurs, I tell you!

My issues with the previous movie were addressed, as the monsters looked great, detailed, and there were plenty of them. King Ghidorah, Mothra, Rodan, have prominent appearances, while others are just there wreaking havoc all over the world. Why? Because the activists woke them all up from their slumbers to reboot the planet. However, Ghidorah, like in his appearances in the Toho films isn't from Earth. He's alien, and therefore able to control the other monsters...except for Godzilla. So, he is our only hope to defeat Ghidorah, but the military in their infinite wisdom find a way to kill or at least maim the Earth Titans. And, as Godzilla and Ghidorah are doing battle, they use it on both of them. It kills Godzilla, and doesn't even scratch Ghidorah. But luckily, since radiation made Godzilla, it was also able to resuscitate him. He comes back, and an epic battle scene follows, and Godzilla emerges victorious, and takes his place as the King of Monsters.

Ghidorah on a volcano. An iconic scene in the movie

So, as a Toho fan with not much faith in Hollywood's ability to make a good Godzilla movie, what did I think of this one? They got it right. In a HUGE way. The storyline is relevant to the movie, and the characters are conflicted enough to make them interesting. The acting is good, and of course, there are hints about the next film, and how it ties into this storyline rather than being a 'just because'  movie.

This was my only gripe. WTH is he standing on?

But, what made this movie great? It was what was seriously lacking in the previous movie. It was the MONSTERS!!! They all looked great, and were featured with LOTS of screen time. Detailed and up close action that Michael Bay could only dream about for a Transformers movie. Godzilla looks much better than he did in the 2014 movie, and also much better than he did in the 2016 Toho film, Shin Godzilla, which is one of my least favorite Godzilla designs. Rodan looked great as the fire demon, Mothra looked updated, but while they all looked great, King Ghidorah stood out. He and Godzilla looked by far the best. 

Do I HAVE to get my ass kicked in EVERY Godzilla movie??

So, all that being said, I have to admit that Hollywood did Godzilla right this time. A badass movie that belongs in the conversation with some of the all time greatest Godzilla films like Godzilla 1985, Final Wars, etc, etc, etc. Do yourself a favor and see this in the theater, Hopefully, they do as good a job with the next film. My only question is what will Toho's answer be? Their answer to the Iguana movie with Matthew Broderick was one of the best Godzilla films of all time, Godzilla 2000. However, their answer to the 2014 film was the less than impressive Shin Godzilla. So in closing,  Good job, Legendary! I look forward to the next one!

Millie approves, and so do I

PS, I still say someone needs to use Racer X's Godzilla cover in a Godzilla movie soundtrack

Chill Out, People! Game of Thrones Finale

Winter is not

what you thought it was...

...if you weren't paying attention!

SPOILERS! Lots of them!

(Duh)

Oh my god! The sky is falling! Nevermind that our own world is burning, lets get this season of a fictional TV show that takes place in a fictitious world remade! The whole series was a waste of time! 
These were some of the ridiculous comments I read on social media the day after the much anticipated Game of Thrones series finale. For the record, I thought it was great. And as I trolled all the angry and entitled drones on social media, something became abundantly clear to me: Many of the so called fans of the show had not been paying attention. Its simple. I will elaborate. 

First off, the main thing that most of the people were crying about was how Daenerys all of a sudden turned evil when Missaendi was killed. How could that make her instantly turn into everything she hated? Well, its simple. She was that person all along. There were COUNTLESS hints along the way.  For example, every time she talked about the Iron Throne, her voice would change. She exhibited a narcissistic lust for power that was downright uncomfortable. Or a more specific example. When she was trying to get Jon Snow to bend the knee. She was completely obsessive over it. Or how about when they were outside Qarth? She promised to destroy the entire city if they did not capitulate to her. I'm not going to list them all, but the clues were there the whole time. If you didn't see catch them, you were not paying attention. Jon Stark saved the entire kingdom by gutting her. And as for the comments about Drogon not roasting Jon instead of the Iron Throne? Dragons are intelligent. I can't think of a single dragon depiction in anything where the dragon was stupid. Drogon knew that it was the throne that did Daenerys in. Think of Daenerys as a Jedi being seduced by the dark side. And remember, only a Sith deals in absolutes.

Or ME if Danenerys had said it.

Next up is the hate for that happened to Jon Snow, and how he should be king, but he got shipped off to the Nights Watch. This one is even more obvious. Jon never wanted to be king. How many times did he say it throughout the last few seasons? And before he was accepted into the Wildlings, he had no direction. He didn't know who he was. He felt at home with the Wildlings. When Bran sent him back to the Nights Watch, he knew there was no need for a Nights Watch anymore, and that Jon would fall in north of the wall. He could see everything. He knew that was where Jon would be happiest, and that would appease the Unsullied, or at least get them to agree not to kill him. That could have easily turned into a bloody battle, but Bran outwitted them.

You all got any more of those hot, redheaded
single wildling chicks?

Now, let's talk about Bran. These angry people love to bring up the quote where Bran said that he couldn't be the Lord of Winterfell because he was the Three Eyed Raven, followed by his answer about being king. He said "Why do you think I came all this way?" He could see everything, remember? Don't you think that if he KNEW that he would be king, it would be better for all parties involved if he weren't already a Lord? That's part of why Tyrion named him! Another part is the fact that the Unsullied wanted him dead too. Speaking of Tyrion, he's the Hand of the King. So, he is basically in charge anyway.

I could use a drink!

Arya goes off to explore the world, Sansa becomes Queen in the North of an independent Northern country. Jaime and Cersi die together. Everyone gets what they want or deserve! It was a happy ending that arose from the tragedy of Dany becoming The Mad Queen! So, why the outrage??? At least they didn't become LUMBERJACKS for fuck's sake!

And for all you people who signed the petition to get Season 8 redone, how about you get a life? If you're that sensitive, maybe you shouldn't watch TV shows that aren't comedies or reality shows anymore. You can't bitch and whine every time something doesn't go your way. I enjoyed the series, and I am looking forward to the spinoffs. You people who got bent out of shape about Game of Thrones should probably avoid the spinoffs.

And, one last thing...I also saw people griping about how the winter wasn't as long as they were led to believe because of the snow melting and the plant growing north of the wall. Winter was a metaphor for the Night King and the Army of the Dead.

Thank YOU, for Game of Thrones, HBO, Cast, and Crew!

Album Review: Thrillkiller, San Francisco Moto

Emotion Overload

The man who's in control

We'll never stop the show

Clever words will rule the world...

...You're the king of 1984!

The Baltimore funk and progressive rock masters are back with their second release, San Francisco Moto. I honestly wasn't sure if they could top their first incredible EP, but they not only topped it, they ascended to a higher plane of existence. And, I'm not even exaggerating. This EP is a true work of art. Its a perfect blend of 80's feeling funk and fusion, while being modern. Its mostly a completely different style from their debut album.

The EP starts off with a synth and guitar instrumental called Theme of Rex Razor that would fit in a scene of Stranger Things. It then slams into King of 1984, an upbeat and catchy tune that is full of stellar vocal performances, pounding drum and bass, and shredding guitar. It then goes into the title track, San Francisco Moto which is also upbeat, but more of a bass oriented tune to starts, but slams into a heavy groove, with brilliant vocal harmony. Last Horizon is the heaviest song on the EP, and it has kind of a 'chase scene in a movie' feel to it. Its absolutely brutal, in terms of guitar. Wicked Rhythm is a nod to their debut, as its funk and groove with a big chorus, and incredible harmony guitar solo.

This band is gifted, and they have probably raised the bar for local Baltimore bands extremely high. Singer, Rob Bradley is not only a great singer, he's a freaking rock star in every sense of the word. But, if you watch their videos, every band member has great stage presence and are rock stars in their own respect. Guitar duo, Maxim Sobchenko and Derrin Ruschell are virtuosos. Bassist, Sebastian Ochoa is a beast, and drummer, Daniel Tipton is extremely tight and skillful. This rhythm section is as solid as a brick wall.

This EP is great. Not only in the songs and musicianship, but also in production. This album is radio ready, and if Thrillkiller were to get signed (and it would be a crime if they don't) they wouldn't have to record a new debut album. 

You also want to check out their videos. They were not cheap to make, and the production on them is amazing. The two videos tell the story of Timecop, Rex Razor, and his adventures in time with his time machine that just happened to be installed in a Delorean. 

King of 1984 video

San Francisco Moto Video

Album and Concert Review: YYNOT

If you're a fan of Rush,

and you haven't heard this

band yet, I just gotta know.

Why??? Why not???

YYNOT started with a stroke of unlikely luck. Guitarist and songwriter, Billy Alexander, of LA was browsing YouTube, and happened across the bass covers of bassist, Tim Starace of Melbourne, FL. He was so impressed with the pure sound and precision of Starace's covers, that he contacted him, asking if he wanted to do an online cover collaboration. He agreed, and they started with a drummer, and soon, recruited 19 year old female power singer,  Rocky Kuner also of LA. Soon, their videos began catching on like wildfire across the internet. Rush fans worldwide were watching the videos, and demanding more. The band then decided to do Rush styled original songs. A risky move, indeed. But, the fans gobbled the original tunes up, and demanded more. YYNOT was born. They finally settled on drummer, Joel Stevenett of Salt Lake City, UT, and recorded their debut album across state lines, recording their parts, then sending them to Billy Alexander, who mixed and produced it. To date, they have played shows in LA and Florida, with more dates in the works. Fans travel cross country to see them perform.

The album is superb, in terms of musicianship, song writing, and production. You'll have a hard time believing that this was a self recorded and produced album, because the quality sounds as good as any Rush album. The songs cover a wide range of Rush's history and sound. Songs like Hourglass, Kingdom Come, YYNOT, Etheria, Run on Love and Another Trip Around the Sun take you back to the earlier and heavier grooves of Rush, while To Come Back Home, Invisible Heart, and The Curtain Falls represent the newer styles.

Rocky Kuner, Vocals

While this is all Rush styled, they also have their own definitive style, meaning they are a serious, legitimate progressive rock band. Maybe you're not the biggest Rush fan, but you still like progressive rock or metal, you will like YYNOT. But, they aren't limited to prog. A couple of the songs on the album have commercial appeal, and could easily be radio hits. They've scored a grand slam with this album. It would be hard not to, when you have guitar, bass, and drum virtuosos, fronted by a tiny woman with an enormous voice that is power and beauty combined. You owe it to yourself to get this album. Its one of the best debuts that I've ever heard.

Now, onto the concert...

June 8, 2018, Eau Gallie Civic Center, Melbourne FL. This place wasn't designed for music. There is no stage, no lighting, only a huge empty auditorium. When I walked in there, I thought I was walking into a huge rock club. They went all out on the stage, complete with video screens on the sides. Pro lighting, pro sound system, all state of the art. I was impressed.

They opened with Starace, Alexander, and Stevenett onstage, with Rocky side stage. The opening song was the 2112 Overture/Temples of Syrinx. Suddenly, the screens went blank, and we see the shadow silhouette of Rocky as she did a buildup note into the Syrinx.  As she came out on stage, the packed house erupted with applause.

Joel Stevenett, Drums

YYNOT played mostly vintage Rush covers, the newest one that I recall being Spirit of Radio. They played classics like A Farewell to Kings, No One at the Bridge, Passage to Bangkok, as well as Freewill and Limelight, and many more. They played for 2 and a half hours, and played 6 of the 9 songs on their album. They never ran out of energy, and neither did the fans. They could have done another 2 hours if they had wanted.

In addition to the amazing music, and showmanship, bassist, Tim Starace was surprised by a happy birthday performance by the band and the crowd. 2 people brought boxes of Krispy Crème donuts onstage, and handed them out to fans. We were also treated to a heartfelt story from Billy Alexander, about how he at 11 years old got to go to his first Rush concert, and how that changed his life. The whole speech was a tribute to his sister, who was in attendance, and was treated like royalty for it. Without her taking him to the concert, there would be no YYNOT! After the band played YYZ, singer, Rocky Kuner got emotional, saying how much all this love from the fans meant to her and the band. She also said that she was blessed to have the best band in the world. I kind of felt blessed to have the 'best band in the world' in my hometown playing a concert, and so did everyone else in attendance.

Billy Alexander/ Guitars and Tim Starace/ Bass

There were people who had driven from Atlanta, Texas, and even Kansas City to see this concert. They all knew how special this band is, and everyone who has heard them has a feeling that they are going to be huge. They have already been contacted by record labels, and not to mention their growing worldwide fanbase. You definitely want to buy their CD, and see them in concert when you can. 

Social Media:

Facebook
YouTube
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Click to buy the CD
Its also available on Amazon

Yours truly with YYNOT and a photobomber





Album Review: Stryper, God Damn Evil

God Damn Evil

God Damn It All

God Save the People

But God Damn the World

2018. Its turning out to be quite the year for 80's bands releasing stellar material. Judas Priest just released Firepower, which earns a spot in the band's top 5 albums. Queensryche is dropping a new album later this year. I'm sure there have been more, and there definitely will BE more. But, we're talking about Stryper. They too have released a new album that is in my opinion, top 3 best. God Damn Evil easily fits with their two best, To Hell With the Devil, and Soldiers Under Command. As a life long fan, this is the Stryper album I've been waiting for.

Michael Sweet

I'll start with the news worthy issues and briefly give you my take on them before diving into this new masterpiece. First, bass player, Tim Gaines is no longer with them, and was replaced by ex Firehouse bassist, Perry Richardson. He didn't play on the album, but will be on future releases and tours. Second, there is all sorts of controversy over the name of the album. Walmart has refused to carry it, and blah blah blah. Its simple. Its a play on words, just like To Hell With the Devil. That's it. I don't understand how people can insist that Stryper is satanic, or using occult symbolism, or anything like that. Their message on this album is as powerful as any other album they've released.  There's honestly nothing more to see here. Move along. 

Oz Fox

Now, the album. If this had been the followup to To Hell With the Devil, Stryper would have been headlining stadium concerts, and it would have been their highest selling album to date. Its the heaviest album in their discography, and the songs on it seem to be a natural progression from THWTD. Track 2, Sorry for example is a heavy, yet commercial Stryper anthem complete with the big chorus and stellar vocal and guitar harmonies. It starts with a heavy chugging groove, with vocal power right off the bat. But, the chorus has a feel similar to that of Free on THWTD. The video for it is very well done as well. 

Perry Richardson

There are no power ballads on GDE, but there are some 'balladish' songs, like track 5, You Don't Even Know Me. Its verses and intros are slow, but the bridge and chorus have a Soldiers Under Command feel to it, and it speeds up toward the end. And, when I say it has a feel, all I mean is that it could have been on that album. It doesn't sound like any one song in particular. Track 8, Beautiful is another one. The guitar in my opinion sounds like a result of Michael Sweet jamming with George Lynch. There is definitely Lynch influence there in the rhythm of the song. It could have fit on Dokken's Under Lock and Key. (But it sounds like Stryper, not Dokken.) 

Robert Sweet

Now, on to the heavies. The title track, God Damn Evil is an 80's style anthem. Simple, powerful, with a 4 part unison chorus. Chunky rhythm, flashy guitar, spectacular guitar solo, and even a nasty little breakdown in the middle with a low pitched sneery chorus. It takes me back. Track 3, Lost is probably my favorite song on the album. It has a SUC feel, complete with the twin axe harmony intros, powerful vocals, and a blistering high chorus. It may even be in my top 5 favorite Stryper songs. Oz Fox is amazing, and the dueling and harmony solo is everything you'd expect from them. Track 11, The Devil Doesn't Live Here, I think Robert Sweet channeled his inner Scott Travis on the intro. The first thing it reminded me of was the intros from Painkiller by Priest, and Scarified by Racer X. The guitar is super fast, and borderline thrash metal. The whole song is an Oz Fox guitar clinic, and its easily the heaviest Stryper song to date.

I remember last year sometime, Michael Sweet asked on social media if there was anything in particular we fans would like to hear on the new album. I replied, saying I'd like an anthem that compares to Soldiers Under Command. I got that in Lost. But, what I also got was an entire album that compares to their two best. If I had gotten this on vinyl or cassette, I think it would be worn out within a month. You want to own this one. Get it. There's no better time than now. You've got the right to choose. You can't lose....

...with God Damn Evil.