Glenn Hughes: A different 'Breed' of singer

Legendary singer/bassist talks vocals for Calfornia Breed

By Peter Lindblad

Glenn Hughes 2014

Glenn Hughes doesn't labor over a multitude of vocal takes in the studio. It's not a sign of arrogance. He's just convinced the first one is almost always the best.

So, why mess with it? 

"If anybody knows anything about Glenn Hughes, it's never more than two takes of vocals for me," said Hughes. "There are singers – I won't name names – who have to sing 60 or 70 times on a song. I'm not that guy. Any more than three times, and it's like a job, and I don't want it to be a job."

Known for years as the "Voice of Rock," Hughes is one of the greatest singers in rock history, having lent his wildly soulful vocal stylings to classic recordings by Deep Purple, Trapeze and Black Sabbath's Tony Iommi, and, in more recent years, the highly acclaimed super group Black Country Communion.  

His latest project, formed in the aftermath of Black Country Communion's dissolution, is the power trio California Breed, featuring drummer Jason Bonham and guitar phenomenon/singer-songwriter Andrew Watt. 

California Breed - S/T 2014

Due out May 20, on Frontiers Records, California Breed's raucous, swaggering self-titled debut of riff-heavy, powerhouse '70s rock takes its cues from Led Zeppelin and Humble Pie, with a little bit of psychedelic soul thrown in for good measure. 

Produced by David Cobb (Rival Sons, Shooter Jennings) at his home studio in Nashville, California Breed's first shot across the bow is a devastating knockout punch, brimming with strong hooks and exuding attitude. 

One of the reasons for the record's immediacy is Cobb's treatment of Hughes's vocals, and the knob-twiddler was rather sneaky about it. Hughes might just be Cobb's biggest fan.

"We knew Cobb was going to produce us six months before we went to Nashville," Hughes related. "We got him in, because Dave is a fan of my band Trapeze. He’s also a Zeppelin fan, as you can imagine. And then I started talking to Dave every couple of weeks on the phone in Nashville, and he’s in L.A. I’d play him stuff over the phone. I wouldn’t send him any stuff on e-mail, I’d just play him stuff organically over the phone, kind of old school. He asked me, 'Well, what do you want to do? Do you want to record this on to tape, or do you want to go …' And I said, 'Let’s make that decision when we get to Nashville.' And we made that decision the morning of the session. We had a decision to go analog, and we all said sort of, 'Let’s go analog.' And Dave said to me, 'You got the lyrics?' I said, 'I do.' He said, 'You got the melodies?' I said, 'I do. Yeah, yeah, I think I’ve got all the melodies and lyrics.' He said, 'Good. How do you feel about Jason and Andrew cutting, and then you overdubbing later on the bass?' I said, 'Sure. Where’s the microphone?' And he said, 'You’re going to be in a booth, and let’s go record.' And basically, I sang to the tracks."

Hughes figured he'd have more work to do the next day. Cobb was rather coy about it.

"So long story short, we recorded the songs, and then I overdubbed the bass, and then I went to bed," said Hughes. "And the next morning, I went to the studio and I said to Dave Cobb, 'Now, I’m going to sing.' And he said, 'Oh no, you’re not. You’ve already sung the album.' Now, he wasn’t tricking me. I know I was recording, but I never actually questioned to myself whilst I was singing, 'I wonder if this is good enough?' I was just singing, just singing, like The Beatles used to do in 1964 on a four-track. To me, when I sing … I mean, I write this shit, and it envelopes inside of me, and it just lives inside of me until I record it. Normally, the way I’ve been recording for the last 20 years, when I sing it for the first time, it’s normally the way I want it to be, whether it’s something I’m overdubbing later or whether it’s like it’s this instance where it’s done live. Hats off to Dave Cobb, full marks from me, two thumbs up from me – he really captured me completely live, and I want to thank him for that. 

Of Cobb, Hughes added, "He f**king captured me for the first time since 1969 completely live."

Hughes is understandably excited about the new album, feeling its some of the best work of his legendary career.

"I’m going to be honest with you, man," said Hughes. "There was nothing technical about this album. When you listen to the songs, (sings a riff), it’s pushing full. We’re not Led Zeppelin, but Led Zeppelin was push and pull. This is life and shape and push and pull, and it’s breathy and it’s aggressive, it’s soulful, it’s harsh, it’s brash, it’s sensitive – it’s everything it started out for me in 1969. This album was written in the wind for me to record, with these two guys."

We'll have more of our interview with Glenn Hughes in due time.

For more information on California Breed, visit:
www.californiabreed.com; www.facebook.com/CaliforniaBreed;  https://twitter.com/CaliBreedBand;  http://instagram.com/CaliforniaBreedOfficial/#;  http://www.youtube.com/user/CaliBreedBand; https://plus.google.com/+CaliforniabreedOfficial/posts;  https://myspace.com/california.breed

CD Review: Prong – Ruining Lives

CD Review: Prong – Ruining Lives

Steamhammer/SPV

All Access Rating: A-

Prong - Ruining Lives 2014

Tommy Victor threw away the rulebook when Prong was formed, his experiences as a sound man at the famed punk club CBGBs undoubtedly opening up his mind to what was possible musically.

Always a little different and usually way ahead of the curve, the daring New York City alternative-metal outsiders introduced old-school hardcore hostility to trash-metal, while occasionally trespassing the fenced-in junkyards of harsh industrial noise and electronic squalor to steal taboo sounds and allowing undercurrents of rumbling, Killing Joke-style post-punk brooding to seep into their violent urban sonic wasteland.

All of this, of course, being subservient to Victor's rampaging, brutally efficient guitar riffs, Prong's pounding rhythmic machinery and the toughest, most tenacious hooks around. Now comes Ruining Lives, a Steamhammer/SPV release that's a dark, streamlined whirlwind of activity, with Prong's relentless energy cloaked in unexpectedly rich and full tonality. As one surgical riff strike after another is detonated, the sleek and powerful Ruining Lives races forward, with Victor's clear, forceful vocals issuing a series of enigmatic calls to arms, breaking through the record's glossy sheen.

Harnessing all of Prong's far-flung influences and aggression in a controlled burn, Ruining Lives consists of songs of sturdy construction and ferocious pace, never sitting in one place long enough to grow bored. Less angry, but still provocative lyrically, Victor sets out to free the soul from whatever binds and oppresses it, exploring themes of metropolitan alienation and self-determinant living as the threesome slams headlong into the bruising opener "Turnover" and its hard-hitting successor "The Barriers." Later experimenting with a new time signature, Prong turns the innovative "Come to Realize" inside-out, injecting it with an "out of left field" riff that, if nothing else, proves the band is still capable of surprising people.

High-speed, high-impact material like "The Book of Change" thrive on pure audio adrenaline, but the title track is a heavy, more ponderous beast that grows more powerful by the second, as do the moody "Absence of Light" and "Remove, Separate Self," two songs with quickening tempos and gripping, galvanizing choruses. Still as disciplined as Helmet, but with Killing Joke's subversive melodic sensibilities bubbling up from the cold, hard ground, Prong hasn't ruined anything, including their chances for record of the year.
– Peter Lindblad

CD Review: Ian Anderson – Homo Erraticus

CD Review: Ian Anderson – Homo Erraticus

Calliandra Records

All Access Rating: B+

Ian Anderson - Homo Erraticus 2014

There appears to be little hope of Jethro Tull ever being reconvened. Ian Anderson, it seems, doesn't see the point of it, especially when Homo Erraticus, his latest solo album, is just as delightfully eclectic and elaborately conceived as anything he's ever done.

Highly literate, as the tale of Tull fan favorite Gerald Bostock continues to unfold, Homo Erraticus weaves dramatic storytelling, evocative language and curmudgeonly social commentary through oddball folk-flavored progressive-rock compositions that rival the edgy, but often charming, eccentricities of Thick As a Brick or Aqualung. 

Wandering through Homo Erraticus takes hours, not a few minutes of simply cycling through 10-second bites, hoping something sparks a reaction, although "The Turnpike Inn" – bouncing with accordion breezes, although still vaguely unsettling – and "New Blood, Old Veins," so jaunty and spirited, are immediately appealing and compelling. More in keeping with the Tull of old and heavily influenced by Renaissance music, the sinister "Doggerland" and "The Pax Britannica" mix Old World classicism with slight electric rock dissonance and ever-evolving melodies, as Anderson's flute trills and flights of fancy grow ever more prominent.

When exploring Homo Erraticus, leave a trail of breadcrumbs. It's a maze of contradictions, with a great sense of musical and lyrical adventure that's not weighed down by its heavy intellect. Although songs flow easily, there are the occasional sharp turns, as Anderson and company – keyboardist John O'Hara, bassist David Goodier, guitarist Florian Opahle, drummer Scott Hammond and singer Ryan O'Donnell – stumble upon the solemn, church-like organ hymn "Meliora Sequamur" and slip into the soft, warm, colorful jazz instrumental "Tripudium Ad Bellum." And "Heavy Metals" and "In for a Pound" are beautifully rendered acoustic pieces, but there are lulls.

Though the verses of "Enter the Uninvited" are endearingly melodic, when Anderson simply reads off a list of banal pop culture references, fast-food joints and modern technological conveniences, it's a stale recitation that seems bereft of context. And then there's the dry creek bed known as "Puer Ferox Adventus," stagnant, lifeless and devoid of anything truly interesting, where with everywhere else there is natural movement and energy. Nevertheless, Homo Erraticus is theatrical, instrumentally diverse, dense with metaphor and description, full of historical treatises and it is surprisingly lighthearted – proof positive that Anderson is as playful and inventive as ever.
– Peter Lindblad

Firehouse gets bad advice from Jon Bon Jovi?

CJ Snare's new band, Rubicon Cross, readies heavy debut
By Peter Lindblad

Firehouse singer CJ Snare leads Rubicon Cross,
a new band that includes guitarist Chris Green,
bassist Simon Farmery, drummer Robert Behnke
 and guitarist Jeff Lerman.

To get as far as he has in the music industry, it stands to reason that Jon Bon Jovi is pretty shrewd when it comes to instincts about songs and the business in general.

And yet, as singer CJ Snare remembers it, had Firehouse heeded some advice he gave them long ago, the chart-topping '90s glam-metal stars might never have gotten off the ground.

The story has to do with the ubiquitous Firehouse smash hit "Love of a Lifetime," which Snare penned in a West Virginia bar. He then shared writing credit on the song with Firehouse guitarist Bill Leverty when the band was playing as a hotel lounge act to scratch out a living.

"Jon Bon Jovi heard it and said, 'Throw it away, it’ll ruin your career,'" said Snare.

Snare still fronts Firehouse, but he also has a new band called Rubicon Cross, which bears little resemblance to his other, more famous one. Rugged, crushingly heavy and emotionally intense, Rubicon Cross will release its self-titled debut album May 19, and it is driven by massive, roiling guitar riffs and pummeling rhythms while still possessing a keen melodic sensibility. Get a taste of it here:

In the distant past, however, when he was just starting out, Snare used to play solo gigs at a piano at a Holiday Inn. That's when he got the inspiration for "Love of a Lifetime."

"And the club owner there, he would come down and he would let me mess around, get a beer, and I’d be writing songs and go on back in the cooler, do whatever you want to do. And I would get free draft beer or whatever, and he’d say (whispers), 'Go ahead and do it.' And I’m like, 'Okay.' So I went down there, and I wrote 'Love of a Lifetime.'"

With some embarrassment, Snare recalled how the core group that would comprise Firehouse formed a lounge band. "Don’t tell anybody … sshhhh," laughed Snare.

Along with a keyboardist, the act included Bill Leverty on guitar, Michael Foster on drums, and Perry Richardson on bass guitar, " ... and we were doing all kinds of variety of jobs … anything to support ourselves while we were trying to get White Heat going, which became Firehouse. We had to change the name because the record company thought it would be confusing with White Lion, Whitesnake … there were too many 'White' bands out there."

A demo was recorded with Slaughter's Dana Strum and Mark Slaughter producing it.

"At the time, we shared a two-bedroom apartment in Los Angeles," said Snare. "We recorded it in Cherokee Studios out in Los Angeles, and they had boxes and boxes of cassette tapes, and 8x10s of people who were trying to be in what was going to be Slaughter."

Slaughter won the American Music Award for Best New Hard Rock/Heavy Metal Band the year before Firehouse followed suit in 1991. "Love of a Lifetime" had a lot to do with it, but that song almost didn't see the light of day.

"We had done a different ballad altogether because of Jon’s advice, and the record company came to us, and they said, 'You know, how about a power ballad? You know, they’re really hitting big on the top of the charts and everything, so we just don’t think you have one quite strong enough. Maybe we could bring in some outside writers and help you out,'" related Snare. "And I kind of really reluctantly raised my hand and said, 'Well, I’ve got another one.' And the guys said, 'No, no, no, no.' You know what that song was? It didn’t ruin our career. It actually helped make our career."

It was always a favorite among fans, even before Firehouse reached dizzying heights of fame and fortune in the '90s, before grunge came along.

"Yeah, back in the lounge band days, man, we used to pack the dance floor with that one," said Snare. "Yeah … oh yeah. It was big man."

The logo for Rubicon Cross

Now comes Rubicon Cross, a group Snare formed with London-born guitar virtuoso Chris Green. The release date for their new album, due out on INgrooves Records, a Universal imprint, is about a couple weeks away, but a few days beforehand, on May 15, Rubicon Cross will play a record release show in the Chicago area with Fozzy and Heaven's Basement. Visit www.rubiconcross.net for the particulars.

Of the upcoming Rubicon Cross record, Snare said, "It’s more aggressive. You listen to this record, it sounds almost live. It’s in your face. It’s got a 2014-2015 stamp on it, it is way heavier, but you can’t hide my voice, it is what it is. But it’s in a different vehicle, and I think that makes all the difference. We’ve already got a Firehouse. We don’t need another one."

And yet, after doing a double-take at hearing the new stuff, fans of Firehouse should find something to love about Rubicon Cross.

"Yeah, it’s going to surprise a lot of people when they hear it in this particular vehicle," said Snare. "But then again, I think they’ll get used to it very quickly, because it’s not unnatural. It’s very organic."

Snare also revealed that physical copies of the new record and a deluxe edition of it, with bonus tracks, a poster and lyrics included, will be available at 600 Best Buy stores around the country and prominently displayed in the "Nikki Sixx Sixth Sense" area. 

As for Firehouse, they're not sitting idly by this summer.

"Now I’m hoping to make a new and different contribution with Rubicon Cross, and I just will say [to Firehouse fans], don’t despair," said Snare. "Your Firehouse band is still here and we’re coming at you, just like we always have, like in 1990 when the first album came out. We’re coming at you. We’ve got a full touring schedule. I just spoke to our agent today and my tour manager, and we’re going to be out there."

Keep watching this space for a more complete version of our interview with CJ Snare.

CD Review: Black Label Society – Catacombs of the Black Vatican

CD Review: Black Label Society – Catacombs of the Black Vatican

eOne Music

All Access Rating: A-

Black Label Society - Catacombs of
the Black Vatican 2014

Whatever horrors there are hiding in the Catacombs of the Black Vatican they can't possibly be any more terrifying than what's yet to be discovered in Zakk Wylde's scraggly beard.

Nevertheless, the ninth album from the biker-metal doomsayers in Wylde's Black Label Society is certainly gloomy and eerie in places, this cavernous dungeon of monstrously heavy riffs, deep-dredging melodies, squealing solos and a few gritty ballads all haunted by painful memories and reeking of death.

Rummaging through the Catacombs of the Black Vatican, the old bones and skulls of Black Label Society's past are encountered, but do not linger in those sealed-off vaults. Wylde certainly doesn't. Although the brawny guitars, wicked grooves and rumbling rhythms found here have a familiar ring, there is a fresh vitality to this material that's palpable, throwing everything good about Alice in Chains, Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath and even Southern rock in a boiling cauldron and casting timeless spells with those magical ingredients.

An absolute pile driver, its great mass heaving to and fro, "Fields of Unforgiveness" delivers a great pounding, while the stoned, churning blues of "Believe" is especially thick and meaty, its repeated riff not only powerful, but also memorable, seemingly feeding off its own energy. And in "My Dying Time," another in a long line of grungy, riff-heavy tracks with elongated, almost graceful curves, Wylde, sounding more like Layne Staley than ever before, confronts his mortality without fear, whereas the growling "I've Gone Away" and a very dark, Black Sabbath-like "Empty Promises" – Wylde's solo here is a shower of sparks – crawl through a sonic gutter bloody and vengeful.

Strong, shifting melodic currents run through Catacombs of the Black Vatican, as it swerves and bends to the mighty will of its creators, little flowers of sonic beauty sprouting through cracks in the hard sonic cement. Nonetheless, thanks in large part of Wylde's affecting vocals, the ballads "Angel of Mercy" and "Scars" somehow manage to sound both earthy and lush, each as pretty as anything in the Black Label Society canon, the latter inheriting its Southern accent directly from the Allman Brothers. Blessed be the Black Label Society.
– Peter Lindblad

Track listing for Judas Priest album released

'Redeemer of Souls' due out July 15

Judas Priest to release 'Redeemer of Souls' July 15

The legendary Judas Priest is about to roll out Redeemer of Souls, their newest record, on July 15 via Epic Records. And now, the track listing is available.

What promises to be a return to the classic Priest sound, Redeemer of Souls will be released as a standard version and a deluxe edition with five bonus tracks, with "March of the Damned" serving as the lead-off single.

The band says, "We feel Redeemer of Souls reinforces or passion for what we believe in from the Judas Priest style of heavy metal."

This is Richie Faulkner's studio debut with Priest, and he is co-writer of the material with fellow guitarist Glenn Tipton and singer Rob Halford. Bassist Ian Hill and drummer Scott Travis round out the lineup for Redeemer of Souls.

Priest's last studio effort, Nostradamus, came out in 2008, and the band calls the new one a "classic combination of all the statements we love to create with raging guitar riffs and solos, thundering drums, thick grooves of bass and vocals tearing it all up!" 

Here's the track listing for Redeemer of Souls:

Dragonaut

Redeemer of Souls

Halls of Valhalla

Sword of Damocles

March of the Damned

Down in Flames

Hell & Back

Cold Blooded

Metalizer

Crossfire

Secrets of the Dead

Battle Cry

Beginning of the End

Bonus Tracks:

Snakebite

Tears of Blood

Creatures

Bring It On

Never Forget

CD Review: Helstar – This Wicked Nest

CD Review: Helstar – This Wicked Nest

AFM Records

All Access Rating: A-

Helstar- This Wicked Nest 2014

A line in the sand was drawn with 2010's Glory Out of Chaos. Helstar leader James Rivera, he of the King Diamond-like wail, has stated unequivocally that " … we will not go any further into the extreme." 

And yet, after putting out an equally brutal new record called This Wicked Nest, available now on AFM Records, Helstar doesn't seem interested in toning down its intensity or aggressiveness. Seeing red and pawing at the ground, this enraged power/thrash metal Texas bull that's been around for more than 30 years rams its horns into a rugged, full-throttle succession of punishing tracks, each one angrier and more visceral than the last. 

With the blackened, doom-laden epic "Cursed" the exception to this harsh rule, its slow Sabbath-like crawl lashed with a mixture of anguish and hopeless futility, This Wicked Nest brings forth a pounding blitzkrieg of punishing tracks like "Eternal Black," "Souls Cry" and the stampeding, bone-crushing "It Has Risen," not to mention the sinister, brawling title track.

Once again venturing beyond its comfort zone, Helstar forms itself into a relentless sonic juggernaut, its blazing guitars and trampling, bludgeoning drums gaining more speed and energy as they propel themselves through the blistering, frenzied "Defy the Swarm," where Rivera, the former Vicious Rumors singer's vocal histrionics as high-flying and expressive as ever, goes where only Rob Halford dares. And guitarists Larry Barragan and Rob Trevino are just as potent throughout This Wicked Nest, their electrifying, bruising riffs full of white-hot intensity as they never fail to display increasingly dynamic technical skill. 

Slightly more melodic than its predecessor, there is evil, and some good, in the heart of This Wicked Nest, as well as defiance – the anti-tyranny sentiments expressed with such hostility in "Fall of Dominion," the song where Helstar's power-metal glory comes shining through in a fantastically intertwined twin-guitar helix. More compositional diversity and a variety of tempos would be welcome on the next Helstar release, but it's impossible to deny what a powerfully produced and vigorous performance this truly is. Indeed, something Wicked this way comes.
– Peter Lindblad

A little taste of the new Judas Priest record

Legendary metal band's 17th album due out July 15

Artwork for the track 'Redeemer of Souls,'
the first single from Priest's upcoming LP

For U.S. fans of Judas Priest that simply cannot wait for the July 15^th release date of their latest classic metal album, Redeemer of Souls, there is some relief on the way. 

And if you are wondering what to expect from the mighty Priest on their forthcoming album, guitarist Glenn Tipton has set the record straight. "Sometimes in the past we may have come under fire for being too adventurous musically – so we have listened!! From start to finish Redeemer of Souls is 13 songs of pure classic Priest metal!!"

On Tuesday, April 29, the title track from the album will be available for purchase via iTunes (https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/redeemer-of-souls-single/id863086125) and other digital service providers. And a clip of the song (plus the single's artwork) is now available to sample at the band's website, judaspriest.com.

There are only a select number of bands that have accomplished what Judas Priest has throughout their career (as well as having served as a stylistic influence on such a wide variety of bands). Soon the group – singer Rob Halford, guitarists Glenn Tipton and Richie Faulkner, bassist Ian Hill and drummer Scott Travis – will be offering up more classic Judas Priest metal with the release of Redeemer of Souls.

Tesla's 'Simplicity' to hit the streets June 10

Tesla in 2014 will release Simplicity

New album from '80s rockers on the way, with touring to follow

(NEW YORK, NY) – Sacramento rock band Tesla have announced an all new LP titled Simplicty due out June 10, 2014 via Tesla Electric Company Recording's arrangement with Entertainment One Music and Distribution.

Simplicity will be the band's seventh studio full length LP and 15th release overall. The new effort will be the followup to Forever More, which was released in October 2008 and featured the single "I Wanna Live."

Tesla locked themselves away for weeks writing the new material that would become Simplicity with longtime A&R man Tom Zutaut. Fourteen solid tracks later the band sank their teeth in while recording began at bassist Brian Wheat's very own J Street Recorders. Legendary engineer Michael Wagener (Metallica, Skid Row, Motley Crue) was then tapped to put the final touches in place. 

Fresh off the Monsters of Rock Cruise, the band has quite the itinerary of tour dates throughout the rest of 2014. Click here for all tour dates. 

Formed in 1981, Tesla have firmly carved out their own space in rock and roll history. The band saw great success with their own rendition of the 1971 classic "Signs" and their own hit single "Love Song" from the The Great Radio Controversy, released in 1989.

Tesla includes the members Frank Hannon, Wheat, Jeff Keith, Troy Luccketta and Dave Rude.

Prong: 'Ruining Lives' and 'Cleansing' souls

Tommy Victor talks new album, 'Cleansing' anniversary and more
By Peter Lindblad

Tommy Victor of Prong
Photo by Tim Tronckoe

Tommy Victor is beating his chest with pride over Prong's upcoming release, Ruining Lives. proclaiming its greatness to anyone who will listen.

Due out May 13 in the North America via Steamhammer/SPV, it's the aggressive, slammed-up-against-the-wall successor to 2012's bruising Carved Into Stone, a bone-on-bone record of white-hot intensity and rugged, jawbreaking brilliance that critics went gaga for two years ago. Victor believes Prong upped the ante on Ruining Lives.

"This is the fastest written and recorded Prong album ever, and it has more great songs than any previous Prong record," said Victor, the guitarist, singer and mastermind behind one of alternative-metal's most ambitious and punishing acts. "I am particularly proud of the vocal performance, and I think we captured some outstanding sounds on this album."

Especially adept at combining industrial and post-punk elements with a raging street-metal ferocity and thrash-metal explosiveness, the fiercely independent Prong has carved out its own niche since forming in the late 1980s, toying with electronics and different genres without ever sacrificing power or raw energy for the sake of trying something different.

Tommy Victor, master of the riff

It all started at the famed punk club CBGBs, where Victor worked as a sound man. Together with the venue's doorman, Mike Kirkland, and former Swans drummer Ted Parsons, Prong put out two indie records, the Primitive Origins EP in 1987 and Force Fed in 1988, before signing to Epic Records in 1989 – the result of a furious showcase performance at the old Ritz in their New York City home with local hardcore heavy-hitters the Cro-Mags and German trash heroes Destruction.

A year later, Prong let the classic Beg to Differ loose on the world, a powder keg of a record that helped bring about a sea change in heavy metal, as would contemporaries Helmet and Pantera. Prove You Wrong arrived in 1991, followed by 1994's landmark record, Cleansing, which celebrates its 20th anniversary this year.

Washing ashore in the wake of the Whose Fist is This Anyway? EP of remixes from the Prove Your Wrong album and recorded with former Killing Joke bassist Paul Raven and keyboardist John Bechdel, Cleansing had a muscular groove and a shocking amount of manic electronic edginess. And it had "Snap Your Fingers Snap Your Neck," often cited as having one of the greatest riffs in metal history.

Not wanting to repeat themselves, 1996's Rude Awakening was a departure, exploring the post-punk terrain charted by Killing Joke and welding industrial textures to its already potent sonic machinery. That run of albums was not only prolific, but it also represented an astonishing burst of creativity for Victor and Prong.

Prong: Tommy Victor, Tony Campos
and Alexei Rodriguez (in no particular order)
Photo by Tim Tronckoe

Now comes Ruining Lives, produced by Victor with help from Steve Evetts and featuring the rhythm section of Tony Campos and Alexei Rodriguez. As much a throwback to Prong's Beg to Differ era as it is a step forward in a bold new direction for a band that is constantly pushing the envelope, Ruining Lives takes everything Prong has done in the past and forms fresh, modern sonic art of it all. Victor talks about Prong's past and the new album in this exclusive interview.

Why do you think this record came together so fast?

Tommy Victor: It had to. I was presented with a strict deadline, and I agreed to it. It was important for me to honor that.

Prong- Ruining Lives 2014

Where Carved in Stone was really lean and maybe somewhat more minimalist in its approach, and just a relentless attack from the word go, Ruining Lives seems like a more diverse record, one you can immerse yourself, while still being heavy and crushing, especially on the title track and "Absence of Light." Do you see it that way as well?

TV: Not particularly. I think Ruining Lives is relentless as well, if not more so. There are songs that cross into a post-punk and diverse vibe on both records. Like "Put Myself To Sleep," "Path of Least Resistance," "Reinvestigate," "Subtract" maybe on Carved. Ruining has "Windows Shut," "Self Will Run Riot," and "Absence Of Light," and all have a lot going on in them.

"Come to Realize" is a different animal for Prong. Talk about how that song was created, how it evolved and about the unusual time signature you used. Did that make it a difficult song to record?

TV: It was fairly easy to lay down. Once you memorize the riff, it's a no-brainer. Prong started doing some odd timing back in the Beg To Differ years. I wasn't afraid to build a song out of that riff, so that wasn't an issue neither.

"Turnover" and "The Book of Change" are full of really powerful riffs and hard-hitting drumming. To you, what goes into making a great riff, and who do you think comes up with the best of them?

TV: Thanks. In the case of those songs, there wasn't a lot of thought put in. I usually jam to a certain BPM, to a metronome. I mix it up, and something seems to come out of it. There are so many great riff masters out there. I'm a little weird that way, though. I think Geordie Walker from Killing Joke writes some of the catchiest riffs of all time, and consistently, for instance. Obviously Dime [Pantera's Dimebag Darrell] had an amazing knack for riffs. [Slayer's] Kerry [King] and Jeff  [Hanneman], R.I.P. You have to admit, Jack White  is a genius at that too.

Tommy Victor performing
live with Prong

Lyrically, has your world view changed at all since the early days? Are you reacting to the world and its problems differently than you used to, or do the same things anger and provoke you to write the way you do?

TV: I had a lot of undisciplined anger in the old days – self pitying, too. There were some good messages, though, back then. "Snap Your Fingers, Snap Your Neck" has a good "live for the moment attitude," which is still cool to me. "Broken Peace" has a positive message, too, out of general frustration, and that's topically something I continue to focus on. There's just more of it now – believe it or not nowadays. The world is what it is, we all have to adapt to reality.

In what ways does this album hearken back to Prong classics like Beg to Differ and Cleansing, and in what ways has Prong evolved since then?

TV: Well, I've always had to sit in a room, maybe even a bathroom or a closet, and come up with lyrics and song ideas, like any writer. That doesn't change. Modern technology and budgets dictate the actual recording process, and that has changed things drastically. There are  lot of things you don't have to do now. And because of that you have to be more careful. I dislike auto-tuned vocals, for instance. All my vocals are performed and doubled. Fortunately, I have experience with that and can do it in a fair amount of time. The vocals have matured considerably I believe. I've learned by doing and they've progressed – same with guitar. I can blast through guitar tracks a lot faster than in the old days. That's all technical stuff. I've been blessed with getting Steve Evetts to work with. He's a godsend. also finding [producer/engineer/mixer] Chris Collier has been amazing. He's one of the most talented guys I've ever been involved with. 

You produced Ruining Lives, and you've said that you're especially proud of the vocals on the record. Did you record them differently this time around to enhance them, or was it just a matter of the performance being stronger?

TV: Well, I answered most of that in the last question. There is a progression of the same attitude on Carved Into Stone. Evetts knows how to coach singers. He produced the vocals on Ruining Lives. It's great to have him in the control room while I'm cutting vocals. Years ago, I was on my own. It was always, "Tommy go in the booth and scream, " and I've realized I don't need to do that, through Steve's guidance.

You worked as the sound man at CBGBs. How did that prepare you for what you experienced with Prong?

TV: It was a boot camp for me. I was forced to be part of the scene. I saw all the bands. And I could see what not to do. I had a firsthand glance of what was going on, so Prong could make decisions based on that knowledge.

What do you remember most about that show at The Ritz with the Cro-Mags and Destruction that helped you get signed by Epic? 

TV: I remember the amazing response we got. We had been fighting for a Rock Hotel show for a couple of years. Finally, [original Prong bassist] Mike Kirkland got [Rock Hotel promoter] Chris Williamson to agree on putting us on that show. It was an epic show that got us signed to Epic.

Talk about the progression or the evolution of Prong from Beg to Differ on through Rude Awakening. Those albums are so innovative and have elements of post-punk, industrial and metal, among others. Where did that desire to combine these different genres come from?

TV: There was beginning to be hoards of thrash-metal bands, noise/ industrial bands, hardcore and crossover bands. So what would be different? How would Prong stand out? I couldn't rely on my playing totally nor my singing. I was okay and got by. I had to rely on smart riffs and stylistic maneuvering. We also had to look to the future a lot in order to maybe break new ground. And back then there was a high ceiling for that. A focus on "songs" inevitably became a priority as well, with less emphasis on strict riffing.

Prong - Cleansing 1994

Cleansing turns 20 years old this year. What are your impressions of it all these years later, and why do you think it remains such an influential record?

TV: It's a classic, and I have no qualms about proclaiming that. It's a signature rock record, not just metal. It opened a lot of doors for a lot of new artists. It's a killer sounding record. [Producer] Terry Date was on top of his game. We made a lot of great studio decisions together. It was a fantastic experience. And it was at a time when Epic records were scratching their heads wondering what the hell we were doing.

You had the EP Whose Fist Is This Anyway?, which came out prior to Cleansing. How did that work influence Cleansing? 

TV: Well it got Paul Raven interested in taking up the bass role in Prong. We had him do a remix. Then we became friends and eventually led to him playing in the band. To those who don't know, that was the first remix record ever done by a metal band. Ted Parsons and I fought hard to get that sold to Epic records management.

Is "Snap Your Fingers Snap Your Neck" a song you feel represents what Prong is all about, or is there another that you feel is under-appreciated and deserves more acclaim?

TV: It's a magical track. We actually started playing that song while Troy Gregory was still in the band. People loved it from the beginning. Some songs are just like that. I'm noticing "Turnover" having that kind of response now.

Next up for Prong? Lots
of touring
Photo by Tim Tronckoe

Ruining Lives seems to revive so much of what makes Prong so interesting and still relevant these days. Does it seem to bridge the old and the new for Prong?

TV: I wouldn't disagree with that. It's got the riffs, it has the hooks, it has the grooves, it's got some of the New York hardcore vibe, it's got the post-punk undertones. It's a solid Prong record.

What's next for Prong?

TV: Touring. There's a lot coming up. Then writing for a new record. Maybe I'll do the next one in two months time, not three.

CD Review: Winger – Better Days Comin'

CD Review: Winger – Better Days Comin'

Frontiers Records

All Access Rating: A-

Winger - Better Days Comin' 2014

Winger's Karma has decidedly taken a turn for the better. Once bashed by critics, constantly derided on "Beavis and Butt-head" and symbolically trashed by Metallica in the video for "Nothing Else Matters," where Lars Ulrich tosses darts at a poster of Kip Winger, these '80s purveyors of melodic metal had seen their career trajectory crash and burn in the '90s. And then grunge came along and finished the job.

Their reputation shot to hell, Winger disbanded in 1994, but the story doesn't end there. A damn sight more intelligent and musically sophisticated than the hair-metal crowd they ran with, a resilient Winger reunited in 2001, and eight years later, intent on restoring their good name, they issued Karma, their fifth studio album. 

Unexpectedly heavy and disarmingly alluring, with a series of intricate progressive-rock instrumental passages, Karma was remarkable, a stunning reminder of what Winger was capable of when properly motivated. Out via Frontiers Records, Better Days Comin' is more of the same, and perhaps even more dynamic than its much-praised predecessor.

Cementing its reputation as the "Dream Theater of pop-metal," Winger's compositions are artfully sketched out on Better Days Comin', where they trot out the sweeping, atmospheric epic "Out of this World" as the album's closer, its moody clouds pierced by the lighting bolts of a spectacular guitar solo. Guitarists Reb Beach and John Roth are as sharp as ever here, their byzantine leads and riffs biting down hard on sizzling, irresistibly crunchy rockers such as the gritty "Rat Race," the lust-filled "Midnight Driver of a Love Machine" – which has a memorable little earwig of a chorus – and the grinding "Another Beautiful Day."

Strangely colorful and maneuvering in the odd time signatures of a band like Yes, "Tin Soldier" weaves through prog-rock's twisting back roads and takes in beautifully diverse, ever-shifting instrumental scenery, while occasionally encountering slight dissonance. On the brighter, funkier title track, Winger embraces its inner Sly and the Family Stone and shining optimism, before settling into the drifting, Beatlesque psychedelia of "Be Who You Are, Now."

The genius of Winger is that they make challenging music that's also warmly human and accessible, all of it consisting of the tricky, yet powerful drumming of former Dixie Dreg Rod Morgenstein, silvery synthesizers, sure hooks and Kip Winger's gripping vocals. It seems Beavis and Butt-head had them all wrong.
– Peter Lindblad

'One Night in the Temple' with Lillian Axe

Veteran hard-rock outfit to release live acoustic album

Lillian Axe to release 13th album in May

Louisiana Music Hall of Fame members, Lillian Axe, will be releasing their 13th album, the acoustic live, One Night in the Temple, produced by Steve Blaze, on May 27, 2014 via CME Records / Sony Music (RED) in the USA and Canada and on Melodic Rock Records / Cargo for the rest of the world on May 19.

Performed acoustically in an intimate setting housed in a Masonic Temple in the Bayou, with their most die-hard fans, One Night in the Temple, features all their hits including, "True Believer," "Show A Little Love," "Crucified," "Misery Loves Company," "Ghost of Winter," "The Great Divide," "Bow Your Head," "Waters Rising" and the crowd favorite "Nobody Knows."

Lillian Axe founder Steve Blaze reflects, “When I first had the idea of putting this show together, it was originally going to be a private 20 person show with acoustic guitars, vocals and no production, however, it took on a life of its own.”

Lillian Axe - One Night in the Temple 2014

One Night in the Temple will be released as three-disc set (2CDs/1DVD and 2CDs/1Blu-Ray), housed in an elaborate digipack. Filmed in high definition, the Blu-Ray will contain the acoustic performance, fan question-and-answer session, videos for the songs "Caged In" and "Death Comes Tomorrow," featuring three songs live in concert from their July 4, 2013 performance at the Paragon Casino and behind-the-scenes footage while the DVD will contain one song from the Paragon Casino and the video for "Death Comes Tomorrow."

FULL TRACK LISTING: Disc 1: Waters Rising, Death Comes Tomorrow, Ghost of Winter, See You Someday, The Great Divide, Nocturnal Symphony, Sad Day On Planet Earth, Bow Your Head, Show A Little Love and Misery Loves Company. Disc 2: Crucified, The World Stopped Turning, Dyin’ to Live (Shades of Blue), Until The End Of The World, The Day I Met You, The Promised Land, Nobody Knows, My Apologies, True Believer and Nobody Knows (Crowd Version).

Lillian Axe is Brian Jones (lead vocals), Steve Blaze (guitar and vocals), Sam Poitevent (guitar and vocals), Eric Morris (bass guitar) and Ken Koudelka (drums).

Lillian Axe will be touring to support this release this summer beginning in the middle of July.

Confirmed dates with more to be announced:

4/18 Houston, TX Concert Pub North

4/19 Dallas, TX Red Blood Club

5/9 Jackson, MS Duling Hall

7/19 Pekin, IL Goodfellas

9/27 Melbourne, FL 80′s In The Park Festival