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. 

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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.

Concert Review: Judas Priest, 4-17-18 Portland, Oregon

In the shadow of Mount Hood,

We were all waiting....

For Lightning to Strike!

As most of you know, I became a truck driver last year. Well, last Friday, I delivered to Portland, Oregon. I am a trainer, and since we were going to here until Monday, my student wanted to go see a Portland Trailblazers playoff game on Saturday. I told him to go ahead, and I realized that all I ever did on downtime was sit in the truck. I decided to see if anything was going on that I would want to see. Tuesday, April 17th, Judas Priest was in town. DAMMIT, I was leaving on the 16th! Son of a...

It would take an act of the Metal Gods for me to get to go to that concert. Well, they decided to smile on me because my truck broke down on Sunday. Had to be towed Monday, soooo, I was PRIEST BOUND!

I got to the arena, and Saxon was playing. I was late for them, but that couldn't be helped. While waiting in line for my $11 beer, I met a proud father, taking his 9 or 10 year old daughter to her FIRST concert. I wrote about that meeting as well because it was really cool. I went in, and my seat was appropriately in section KK. I knew it was going to be an awesome night. 

If you don't already know, guitarist, Glenn Tipton has left the band because of health issues with Parkinson's Disease, and couldn't tour anymore. He has been replaced by guitarist, Andy Sneap, along with Richie Faulkner who replaced KK Downing after he retired. He's played for some amazing bands, so I wasn't worried about him playing Glenn's parts. He's done production work for Megadeth, Accept, Testament, and many other bands known for exceptional guitar ability, not to mention been members of various heavy hitting guitar bands. 

Rob Halford and Andy Sneap

The band opened with the title track of their latest album, Firepower, which is in the top 5 albums of their entire discography. Glenn Tipton played the songs on the album, and if anyone had any doubts about Sneap and Faulkner carrying the torch, they were quickly erased. The crowd accepted both guitarists with enthusiasm. Rob Halford's vocals were piercing, and strong as ever. I had never seen Faulkner with Priest before, but I was amazed. He is one HELL of a showman. I couldn't really see Scott Travis from where I was, and Ian Hill just did his normal performance, just staying on his side of the stage, beating the deep darkness from his bass that gives Priest songs the scary essence that they are known for. 

Showman Extraordinaire, Richie Faulkner 

The band played a wide variety of hits, classic gems, and several songs from Firepower. They played Sinner, Freewheel Burning, Grinder, The Ripper, and a couple other classics. I was a little surprised to hear Turbo Lover, but it was still great. Of course, they played Painkiller, which Rob nailed, and the solo was done perfectly by Faulkner and Sneap. After Painkiller, something happened that we were all hoping for, but not expecting. Sneap joined Ian Hill at the back of the stage, and none other than Glenn Tipton emerged from side stage. The place erupted with applause, and Glenn stood there with his hand on his heart and pointing at the audience. You could tell that our enthusiasm for him met the world to him. They finished the set with Tipton playing his signature Hamer guitar. His first song with them? Metal Gods of course. He then played Breaking the Law, You Got Another Think Coming, and Living After Midnight with the band. 

Rob and Glenn

That was an incredible concert, mixed with excitement, and emotion. The band sounded great, and everyone enjoyed it. I'm sure the people in attendance were a lot happier leaving than the Trailblazers fans were who had just watched them drop a second playoff home game in a row, going to a 0-2 deficit to the Pelicans. That arena is right next to Veterans Memorial Coliseum, where Priest played. You don't get many options for a personal life out on the road. I'm glad I had this opportunity, and it was a concert that I won't forget any time soon.

Rock and Roll Children: Parenting Done Right!

The (Metal) Kids Are Alright  

Everyone knows that the 80's metal children grew up with a level of intelligence that fans of other genres just simply didn't have. Its because the music made by iconic bands like Judas Priest, Iron Maiden, Dream Theater, Savatage, Megadeth, Metallica, and countless others was simply put, intelligent. Especially those kids who became musicians themselves. Metal fans don't just listen to their music. They absorb and ingest it, analyze it, and dissect it. They break every single little riff down individually, and know the most simple high hat ting as much as they know the lyrics and guitar solos. And, they know every single note of the guitar solos too. This intense studying of the music later turned into brains that are extremely attentive and sensitive to detail. 

So, what are these attentive brains doing to make me say that this is parenting done right? Its simple. They are exposing their kids to the same music that they grew up with. The result? Smart kids who know the difference between great music, and the over saturated commercial garbage that their classmates and adult drones are listening to on the radio. They have inducted their kids into a family that will be there for life. Metal is more than music. Its a lifestyle, and they (like us) will always have a home at a metal concert. Raising them on metal isn't easy either. You might have a spouse that doesn't like metal, and that can be a difficult hurdle, especially if the parents are no longer together, and share custody of the child.

I have several stories about metal kids that I've encountered over the years, including a story about how I'm doing my part to raise a metal kid. We'll start with last night. I am in Portland, Oregon, and Judas Priest played a concert here. It took an act of the Metal Gods to get me to that concert, but you can read about that in my review here.

I was waiting in the line to get a beer, when I saw a father, age 40, and his daughter who looked about 9 or 10. She was dressed in black, and had a J and a P on each cheek. The father was proud to be taking his princess to her first metal concert. Judas Priest. Not bad, huh? He was beaming with pride, and we started talking about raising kids with metal. He said that his wife was leary about the girl going, to which he told her that there was nothing to worry about. The father told me that his daughter played guitar...an Ibanez, no less, and could play all the notes in Breaking the Law, among others. She even knew who Nita Strauss is, and is a fan. I enjoyed meeting them, and I wish I could hear what she thought of the concert. 

Guys, if you see this, please let me know
what she thought of the concert. She
was awesome!

Next, I'm going to tell you about a couple instances with my youngest daughter, who is 8 years old. The first concert she ever went to was a local band at a July 4th festival in South Carolina. She was still very little, and I spent the majority of the evening with her on my shoulders. There was a classic rock cover band playing onstage, but we were trying to stay away from them because my now ex wife was worried about the volume. (It wasn't that loud) But, she kept making it very known that she wanted to go closer. We did, and she was rocking on my shoulders, and loving every moment of it. A local newspaper took our picture, and it made it in the paper.

A few years later, we took her to a festival in Fayetteville, NC where Warrant was playing. Same thing, even down to the reporter taking our picture. Not sure if that one made it in the paper though.

My daughter,  Warrant,
And me

I've taken her to several concerts, mostly locals including my hometown heroes, Dead Serios, and Geezer, and a teen girl rock band called Good Luck Audrey. She loves all three of these bands. But, my the most special one to me was Dead Serios. I got to join them onstage to sing a part in their hit, No More Pipe For Potato Head. I didn't tell her that I was going to be doing this, so when I got called up to the stage, she had no idea. She was just sitting there in awe because she had heard me talk about how I used to be in bands before she was born, but she had never seen me perform. One guy told me that she looked at him, pointed at me, and yelled "That's my DAD!" Proud papa moment, for sure. But, another proud papa moment happened at that show as well. Guitarist, Doug Gibson, a local guitar virtuoso also had his own son join the band onstage to play guitar as a guest in their cover of Blister in the Sun by Violent Femmes. I talked to him, and he told me that his favorite guitarist growing up was his dad. He's one of my favorites too.

My daughter with Dead Serios

The last one I'm going to talk about happened at a Stryper concert in 2005, in Charlotte, NC. There were lots of teenagers there. I asked one of them why he was there. He told me that his dad listened to Stryper, and he grew up with them. He told me that he was learning to play metal guitar, and he just had to hear Soldiers Under Command live. 

Parenting. You're doing it right!
If you have pics of you and your metal kids,  email them to me at willtelltale@gmail.com subject line Metal Kids. If I get enough of them,  I'll make a folder on this blog for them.  I'm also thinking about doing a radio show on that topic once we bring the show back.

#MetalKids
#ParentingYoureDoingItRight

Retro Review: Crimson Glory, Transcendence

When the nightmares ensue,

all that you can do is

paint the sky another brighter

shade of blue....

Ok, its 2018. The 30th anniversary of one of the greatest and most under rated albums from one of the greatest and most under rated metal bands of all time...Possibly THE most under rated. Of course, I'm talking about Crimson Glory and Transcendence. I've seen several other bloggers review it, so I figured I might as well too. Crimson Glory is one of my all time favorite bands, and Midnight is my all time favorite singer.

I remember the first time I heard them. They had released a self titled debut album, but I hadn't heard anything off it. A friend of mine was wearing a Crimson Glory T-Shirt, and I asked him who they were. He told me to come sit in his car. The tape was already in his player, and he had been wearing it out. The song, Painted Skies was just ending, and Masque of the Red Death was about to begin. When the abrupt punch of that song's intro blasted through the speakers, I was blown away. I loved the sleek and sharp blistering guitar leads of Jon Drenning, as they made way for Midnight's opening vocals. "The pain lingers on beyond these castle walls...The red death is taking them all...While the king and his court dance the night away at the masquerade..The hour of Midnight grows near..." I had goosebumps. I asked him to rewind it, but he said no, and played Eternal World. My reaction? Astonishment. Speed metal never sounded so good, and Midnight's vocal range was something I had never heard before. I told him not to play anymore, and later that day, I went and bought a copy of my own. 

That album is a slam dunk. There's not a bad song on it, and if the Metal Gods had smiled on Crimson Glory, Painted Skies would have been (recognized in the mainstream as) one of the greatest metal ballads of all time. Same with Burning Bridges, but that song is more epic in length and content, and wouldn't have been given radio play unless they chopped it up and shortened it which would have been a crime.

You've heard people rant and rave about the production quality of Metallica's Black album or Motley Crue's Dr. Feelgood? This album deserves to be in the discussion as the best. For example, I've honestly never heard drums sound like that before. They sound raw and live, yet also sound like they were done in the studio. You can also clearly hear the cymbals on this album, which is something that I can't recall where I've heard them in other songs. And of course the guitars and bass. You hear one lick from this album, and you'll know its them. Lots of work and money went into the making of this masterpiece.

Transcendence literally has everything that was popular at the time. Commercial appeal (although it was never a cheesy love ballad) in Lonely and Painted Skies, speed metal in Eternal World and Masque of the Red Death, a blast of thrash metal in Red Sharks (another stratosphere piercing offering from Midnight) Gothic metal with Where Dragons Rule (I'm sure there's a D&D dungeon master somewhere who plays that song each time his group starts a session) Power metal in Lady of Winter, and slow and creeping haunting metal with In Dark Places. And last but not least, an acoustic creepy feeling title track that made me feel like I was being watched the first time I heard it. This band literally put the metal world on notice with this album that they could do anything, and rule at it.

Unfortunately, we all know what happened next. The band signed with Atlantic Records, who put out a lackluster album, Strange and Beautiful that failed miserably to live up to its predecessor, in terms of song quality, and production.  Midnight left, and singer Wade Black, an extremely gifted singer joined to release the album, Astronomica. While better than Strange and Beautiful, it also failed to live up to Transcendence, and Black was eventually replaced with Todd La Torre, who is honestly the only singer I've heard that can capture every vocal nuance of Midnight's voice, and do the songs their well deserved justice. Unfortunately, the band wasn't ready to work, so La Torre left them to do the same for Queensryche. He's successfully replaced not one, but TWO metal legends. There's nobody else who can say that. Anywhere.

Todd LaTorre with Crimson Glory

So, give this album a listen if you haven't heard it. You'll thank me. And, if you have heard it, give it another listen. Tell a friend about them. I've told quite a few people who hadn't heard them about them, and their reaction was similar to mine. One guy just shook his head, and said "Its a damn shame that nobody knows this incredible band. Nobody knows the bass player's or the drummer or guitarists name." I replied "You do now, and so do all of their fans, and their cult fanbase keeps growing." 

Jeff Lords, Jon Drenning, Midnight, Ben Jackson, Dana Burnell

That's all I got for now. Writing this took my mind off this damn flu for an hour or so. Until next time, turn it up to 11!

.