Book/DVD Review: Randy Rhoads - The Quiet Riot Years

Book/DVD Review: Randy Rhoads – The Quiet Riot Years

Red Match Productions

All Access Review: A-

Randy Rhoads - The Quiet Riot Years
Red Match Productions

Ron Sobol’s access was unlimited. Having befriended Kevin DuBrow, after the two bonded over a shared interest in photography and Humble Pie, Sobol eventually became part of the Quiet Riot family – as the band’s personal shutterbug, as its lighting director, and simply as somebody they would pal around with. Along for the ride, through all the ups and downs, Sobol watched the early version of Quiet Riot, featuring a young Randy Rhoads on guitar, tear up the Sunset Strip and garner a following rivaled locally only by Van Halen.
 

This was long before Metal Health made Quiet Riot a worldwide phenomenon, however. Back in the late 1970s, Rhoads and Quiet Riot – despite their colorful stage garb and charismatic live shows – couldn’t get any American record label to take a chance on them. The showcases they performed for label executives led to nothing but false promises. Even the well-publicized demonstrations they organized outside record companies in Los Angeles, where supporters pleaded for them to sign the band with well-meaning placards and chants even as the police tried to silence them, fell on deaf ears. Sobol had his camera trained on Quiet Riot, and the circus surrounding them, the whole time.
 

For years, Sobol, the ultimate band insider, has been sitting on a mountain of hundreds of behind-the-scenes still photos and mountains of super 8mm concert footage he compiled while running with DuBrow and the rest of the Quiet Riot pack. And it’s all here in “Randy Rhoads – The Quiet Riot Years,” undoubtedly the most comprehensive and candid biography of that period in Quiet Riot’s history that’s ever been compiled. Packaged together as a vividly illustrated coffee table book plus an illuminating DVD, Sobol’s collective work – he directed the DVD and authored the book – revisits the halcyon days when Quiet Riot ruled The Starwood and other Hollywood hot spots, such as the Whisky A-Go-Go and The Troubadour, while also performing before thousands of people who showed up to bask in their pre-glam metal glow at local colleges and festivals. And yet, that major American record label deal eluded them.
 

The frustration was palpable, as Sobol’s documentary illustrates in such heartbreaking fashion. Everybody associated with Quiet Riot were pulling their hair out trying to figure out how to break this band. Fan club president Lori Hollen did her part, hauling a boatload of friends to go see Quiet Riot, and Jodi “Raskin” Vigier, the one-time girlfriend of both Rhoads and DuBrow, and Laurie MacAdam worked on livening up the band’s image – MacAdam’s fashion sketches for the band’s dazzling, completely over-the-top stage clothes are shown in both the film and the book. Then, along came Ozzy Osbourne, and the party was over, as he took Rhoads to be his new guitarist and his musical salvation. Unfortunately, that meant the original Quiet Riot, fronted by the indomitable DuBrow and Rhoads, his very close friend, would never hit the big time together, as they’d hoped they would.
 

Watching and reading “Randy Rhoads – The Quiet Riot Years,” it’s impossible not to get a full sense of the abject disappointment everyone associated with this version of Quiet Riot felt when their career stalled. In a DVD full of wide-ranging, completely open interviews, drummer Drew Forsyth – with some bitterness – relates how a disinterested producer torpedoed the band’s first album, 1977’s Quiet Riot, and details how management failed them on numerous occasions. And there was drama within Quiet Riot, as DuBrow knocked heads with bassist Kelly Garni, which caused tension between DuBrow and Rhoads, who’d been friends with Garni since childhood. Garni’s time in the band ended rather abruptly, however, when in a drunken rage he pulled out a gun during an argument with Rhoads, an incident thoroughly hashed out in a film that captures the youthful joie de vivre and DIY spirit of Quiet Riot and its closest allies. At the same time, it deals with the crushing disillusionment that comes with seeing one’s dreams go unfulfilled, this despite scintillating footage of a swaggering Quiet Riot knocking them dead in exciting live performances. Big issues, such as Rhoads feeling stifled creatively by DuBrow, drive the story and make it a gripping yarn, but there are other individual moments of greatness, including a thorough dissection of the mind-blowing solo Rhoads used to play at Quiet Riot gigs from his guitar tech Brian Reason. And this is just half the story.
 

Edited and laid out skillfully, with particular attention paid to attaching bite-sized pieces of text with compelling graphics, the book is jam packed with beautifully shot color and black and white images, augmented by scraps of memorabilia as well as moving tributes from its senior editor – and one of Rhoads’ guitar students – Peter M. Margolis and DuBrow’s mother. Among the treasures from Sobol’s archives are mesmerizing portraits of Rhoads, leftover pictures of the band taken during a football locker room photo shoot for the Quiet Riot II cover, stolen scenes of backstage high jinks – including one section with the boys parading around in dresses – and an endless stream of highly visceral, electrifying close-ups of the band’s two lightning rods, Rhoads and DuBrow, giving it their all onstage. Accompanied by an informative, if somewhat skeletal narrative, the photography jumps off the page, and it’s not just because there is so damn much of it to sift through. The product of inspired intuition, fly-on-the-wall observations and a true cause – namely, the advancement of Quiet Riot – Sobol’s images catch members of the band and their entourage at their leisure, having a fantastic, carefree time in sunny Southern California before they lost their innocence.

Click Here for Additional Information: Red Match Productions

       

      –   Peter Lindblad

Anthrax Memorabilia

Anthrax Promo License Plate

Anthrax memorabilia will certainly continue to be sought after and continue to fetch big auction prices.

Along with Metallica, Slayer and Megadeth, New York City-based Anthrax is considered of the so-called "Big Four," the quartet of bands largely responsible for dragging thrash metal - or, as some call it, speed metal - out of the underground and into the mainstream in the late '80s and early '90s. Combining the blistering virtuosity and strong vocals of heavy metal with the fury of hardcore punk to create a whole new musical sub-genre, Anthrax was formed by Scott Ian and Dan Lilker in 1981.

Fistful of Metal, Anthrax's debut, was unleashed in 1984, even though the band hadn't settled on a lineup. After singer Joey Belladonna and bassist Frank Bello joined the band, and later, guitarist Dan Spitz was brought aboard, Anthrax enjoyed its greatest success, as fiery albums like 1985's Spreading the Disease and 1987's Among the Living - their most acclaimed records - cemented their reputation as sonic innovators. However, it was Anthrax's hard-hitting collaboration with Public Enemy on 1991's crossover remake of the hip-hop legends' classic "Bring the Noise" - and their subsequent joint tour - that put them on the map. The group dropped its last LP, the critically acclaimed Worship Music, in 2011.

Scott Ian Signing Memorabilia

With '80s metal memorabilia drawing increased attention from collectors, Anthrax memorabilia will certainly continue to be sought after and continue to fetch big auction prices. In 2012 Scott Ian and Charlie Benante offered up for auction an amazing array of Anthrax relics direct from their own personal collections.

Stage worn clothing, concert and studio used gear, vinyl, posters, promotional items topped the list for collectors - demanding high prices and securing Anthrax's position on collectors lists of "have to have".

Collectors and fans should hold on to their metal memorabilia as the value will continue to rise as it's popularity soars.

Check out the Anthrax Relics available in the store:  Anthrax Memorabilia

Steve Howe steps away from Asia

Prog-rockers recruit new guitarist, plot new record

Asia - Sam Coulson, Geoff Downes, John Wetton
and Carl Palmer

Steve Howe is leaving Asia. The renowned guitarist announced his intentions to step away on Thursday, saying he needs to do so in order to focus more fully on other projects.

“Myself and the band wish to thank their fans for the enthusiasm shown during the original members’ reunion,” relates Howe. “I will continue with Yes, and with my trio and solo guitar work. I wish my friends continued success.”

Moving quickly, Asia has already found Howe’s replacement. They have hired newcomer Sam Coulson, recognized throughout the guitar community as a virtuoso performer. With Coulson in tow, Asia plans to perform at Sweden Rock 2013 and work on a new studio album, titled Valkyrie, for Frontiers Records.

“Asia is ready to take its next steps along this remarkable road,” says Asia’s lead vocalist and bassist John Wetton, known also for his work with King Crimson and U.K. “We cannot wait to perform again for the fans and also to unveil some of the new material, of which we are very proud.”

Keyboardist Geoff Downes, who has also played with Yes and the Buggles, added, “We look forward to writing another chapter in Asia’s history,” while drummer Carl Palmer, of Emerson, Lake and Palmer fame, chimed in, “We’re all looking forward to the next decade of great Asia music.”

The original members of Asia reunited in 2006 for a U.S. tour, several jaunts across the European continent and four the spanned the world, while also managing to release three new studio albums, three DVDs, and a number of live records. Asia’s exposure grew exponentially when their song “An Extraordinary Life,” off 2008’s Phoenix LP, was picked as the theme music for the TV show “America’s Got Talent.”

One of the biggest-selling super groups of all-time Asia began in the early ‘80s, when Howe, Wetton, Downes and Palmer agreed to join forces. Their self-titled debut album arrived in 1982 and spent nine weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard charts. It remains one of the three most successful albums, in terms of record sales, in the history of Geffen Records, along with the likes of Guns ‘N Roses and Whitesnake. Their song “Heat of the Moment” was a smash hit, and an MTV phenomenon. Their ability to make videos that combined storytelling with compelling messages resulted in heavy MTV rotation for tracks like “Wildest Dreams,” “Only Time Will Tell,” “The Smile Has Left Your Eyes,” and “Don’t Cry.” And “Heat of the Moment” has appeared in TV shows and movies including “40 Year Old Virgin,” “South Park,” “Cold Case” and “The Matador.”

Visit OriginalAsia.com for more information.

CD Review: Public Image Limited - Alife 2009: Live at Brixton Academy

CD Review: Public Image Limited – Alife 2009: Live at Brixton Academy

Four Worlds Media

All Access Rating: A-

Public Image Limited - Alife 2009: Live at Brixton Academy 2012

“Proper music for proper people” – that’s the public service Public Image Limited provides, according to John Lydon. It’s a mission statement, as much as anything, for John Lydon and the revived PiL, playing their first gigs since Lydon pulled the plug on the post-punk insurgents in 1993. And Lydon, making an entrance as only he can, reintroduced PiL to the Brixton Academy crowd with that statement as the industrial noise of “The Rabbit Song (Intro)” died down. Those “proper people” Lydon refers to were in for quite a night of it, as PiL, established by Lydon after the Sex Pistols imploded, had no intention of leaving them feeling they’d been cheated.

Superbly mixed audio, coupled with the vitality and edgy, adventurous spirit of PiL – who deliver a sonically mesmerizing and stylistically diverse performance, full of different moods and textures – recommend Alife 2009: Live at Brixton Academy, another in the line of immaculately recorded and extravagantly packaged concert records from Four Worlds Media. Like the most depraved grave robbers, they plunder the PiL back catalog, digging up the bodies of 23 strangely compelling tunes from such classic LPs as Second Edition, Metal Box and Flowers of Romance and giving them new life. Where their studio versions could be grim and sterile, here, they have more color in their cheeks, many of them extended well beyond their original borders. Against a backdrop of eerie, unsettling dub rhythms, dissonant squalls of razor-like guitar and alien keyboards, Lydon – joined in this PiL incarnation by former members Bruce Smith and Lu Edmonds, as well as Scott Firth – goes on enigmatically poetic rants in the vaguely menacing, hypnotic and austere “Albatross,” “Careering,” “The Suit” and “Four Enclosed Walls.” Sounding more predatory, as an insistent bass line creeps around the edges, the disturbing meditation on family dysfunction “Tie Me to the Length” becomes a particularly nightmarish vision of a psychological breakdown in Lydon’s emotionally scarred hands.

It’s not surprising then that after “Tie Me to the Length” takes its last breath, Lydon jolts the seemingly stunned audience awake by yelling, “You’re too quiet.” Somewhat brighter, if not entirely happy and shiny, dance-oriented numbers like “Flowers of Romance,” “Bags” and “This is Not a Love Song” bounce off a muscular, thumping trampoline of bass that makes bodies want to writhe in the doomed ecstasy of the damned, as tangled coils of guitar vainly attempt to unravel themselves in puzzling and interesting ways. As ringmaster, the howling, growling Lydon is enthusiastic, funny and defiant, making an impassioned plea for unity, racial harmony and (gasp!) love in the airy, melodic “Warrior” and demanding the exile of all politicians from Britain, before pleading for more bass from a sinister, smoldering take on “Religion” – Lydon’s scathing indictment of an institution he despises. 

The cynical “Disappointed,” one of PiL’s biggest hits, has neither the bite or the snarl of the original studio version, and that’s … well, disappointing. Weak and ineffectual as it is, however, that failed effort is the exception, not the rule, on Alife 2009: Live at Brixton Academy. Even the more atmospheric, starry numbers like “Usls 1,” are rapturous on this occasion, and the seething undercurrent of danger and anger running through “Chant” – cosmic, swirling guitar work hovering above the growing unrest like supernova – is decidedly palpable, while the angular “Memories” and the propulsive “Annalisa” move surreptitiously in the manner of assassins, springing with violence only when necessary.

Vicious and uncompromising at times, and removing some of the grey drone of their recordings, this pulsating set is also deliciously entertaining, although the melodies and subtle hooks of their music maintain their subversive character. As the lighthearted, Eastern European-flavored “Sun” dances to the beat of its own drummer in the most easygoing, uninhibited manner, another one of PiL’s most recognizable tunes, “Rise,” throws weary travelers along life’s sometimes rocky path a bouquet of well-wishes and offers a reminder that “anger is an energy.” Yes, it is, and so is Lydon, whose unique brand of populism still resonates with “proper people.”

-            Peter Lindblad

CD/DVD Review: Triumph - Live at Sweden Rock Festival

Triumph – Live at Sweden Rock Festival

Metal Works/Universal

All Access Rating: B-
 

Triumph - Live at Sweden Rock Festival 2012

That other power trio from Canada, Triumph was never flashy or flamboyant. A band of the people that often found itself a punching bag for hostile critics who characterized their meat-and-potatoes hard rock as bland and uninteresting as drywall, the threesome of guitarist/vocalist Rik Emmett, bassist/keyboardist Mike Levine and drummer/vocalist Gil Moore began life in 1975 in an abandoned Toronto- area bowling alley. 

 

Uncomfortable with being tagged as the white knights of heavy metal, they preferred to be known as a straightforward hard-rock outfit whose tastes gravitated toward simple, heartfelt melodies and big, uplifting anthems. And that’s the way they went out, dying with their boots on, for all intents and purposes, when Emmett, an honest-to-goodness guitar hero, departed in 1988 – although Moore and Levine valiantly kept Triumph going well into 1993, before the disheartening dissolution of their label, Polygram Records, left them with little reason to continue. Dormant for years, the men of Triumph reunited briefly in 2008, not long after being inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame. Shaking off the rust, they returned to the stage in June of that year – at the Sweden Rock Festival of all events, having never played the Nordic country, even during their 1970s and 1980s heyday, when all of their records seemed to go gold.

 

Released in 2012, coinciding with the arrival of fall, this CD/DVD package documents an inspired and solid, if sporadically flat and listless, performance that makes one wonder if they actually could have endured a full-blown, continent-traversing tour. Sagging noticeably when Triumph wanders aimlessly through the interminably dreamy, Yes-like labyrinth of “Blinding Light Show/Moon Child” and loses its momentum in an overly fussy, unsatisfying “Never Surrender” and a much too delicate “Magic Power,” the “Live at Sweden Rock Festival” set is buoyed by the sinewy, hard-charging “Rock and Roll Machine,” and “Allied Forces,” among other rougher cuts. As tough as longshoremen and just as vigorous, gnarly rockers like Triumph’s grinding cover of Joe Walsh’s “Rocky Mountain Way” – which features an extraordinary, fret-scorching showdown between Emmett and guitar partner Dave Dunlop – and “When the Lights Go Down” are downright nasty, while a particularly muscular “Lay it on the Line” and the glorious showstopper “Fight the Good Fight,” perhaps the greatest motivational speech ever disguised as a classic-rock anthem, make you want to run through a wall.
 

Given ample opportunity to stretch out and solo like demons, while also delivering tightly wound twin-guitar leads that are well-executed, Emmett and Dunlop prove a formidable tandem, and their dexterity, finesse and rugged riffing are worth the price of admission. The DVD half of this set, however, is not; in fact, it’s damaging to overall impressions of the release. On screen, Triumph displays inconsistent chemistry and is ... well, rather dull, even as flash pots are set off to please a crowd that seems genuinely excited to see their heroes – possibly for the first time ever. And the press conference included on the DVD has such poor sound and is shot at such a terrible camera angles that it adds little to the experience. Still, this could very well be Triumph's last voyage, and if it is, it’s not a bad send-off. Still, some of that magic power they once possessed seems to have gone away.

   

      - Peter Lindblad

DVD Review: Peter Gabriel - Classic Albums: So

DVD Review: Peter Gabriel - Classic Albums: So
Eagle Vision
All Access Rating: A-

Peter Gabriel - Classic Albums: So 2012

Usually, Peter Gabriel’s artistic instincts are above reproach, but his original choice for the female half of the hopeful duet “Don’t Give Up” that appeared on his commercial breakthrough LP So was an odd one. 

For this song about the devastating emotional effects of job loss in a troubled economy, Gabriel thought “country and western” queen Dolly Parton, so cheery and brassy, could be a perfect fit for the role – and make no mistake, whoever was going to be picked to sing opposite of Gabriel was going to be acting, as So producer Daniel Lanois explains in this edition of the highly acclaimed “Classic Albums” documentary series from Eagle Vision.

It’s not that Parton was incapable of toning down her act to express the gritty and desperate compassion Gabriel – inspired by Depression-era black-and-white photos from the lens of Dorothy Lang – needed from her to make it work. After all, as Gabriel says here, he originally imagined the piece as a country song. Because Parton grew up impoverished, she could certainly relate to the subject matter, and she’d performed songs that dealt with the anxiety of economic distress with the requisite empathy and emotional resolve to get through it. Still, Parton’s earthiness and boundless good cheer, at least in retrospect, seem particularly ill-suited for the affecting, air-brushed “Don’t Give Up.” Even veteran music journalist David Fricke, who’s as open-minded as anybody when it comes to musical experimentation, remarks on camera that he “couldn’t imagine anybody else” doing the song but Gabriel’s other choice, Kate Bush.

Bush made perfect sense, her feathery, angelic vocals offering soothing comfort and clinging hope to a broken man facing unemployment and an uncertain future. Lanois, as he relates so eloquently in “Classic Albums: So,” believes Bush’s acting was flawless, and some would say So was pretty close to perfect, as well. An awakening of sorts for Gabriel, So found Gabriel opening himself up to possibilities, tinkering with fecund African rhythms and toying with the classic swinging R&B and soul sounds he loves so much to make music that was more infectious and joyful. He had emerged from the dark, tangled psychological jungles and the obscure, arty ghetto of previous works ready to be artistically “revealing and naked,” according to Lanois. Or, to put it another way, Gabriel just let himself be human on a record that was guileless and openhearted, a piece of art that left him exposed and opened up floodgates of emotions, and yet was still quite experimental. And the filmmakers here conduct a proper examination of its body and its soul.

Unlike a lot of the editions in the long-running “Classic Albums” series, this one wisely doesn’t spend much time on the back story, except to detail the renting of that bucolic paradise Ashcombe House – the manor home where many of Gabriel’s solo LPs were recorded – and discuss Gabriel’s reluctance to give his records titles, as well as reveal how Lanois convinced him to give up his longstanding insistence that his recordings be free of cymbals. Instead, this film focuses on the sometimes thorny, but intensely productive, partnership between Gabriel and Lanois, which, as the film indicates, was tested during the year it took to make So, their sometimes contentious chemistry setting off sparks and spurring creative epiphanies. 

An insider’s perspective on the making of colorful and charming video for“Sledgehammer” is provided, along with engaging, yet detailed, discussions about how that track and others like “Red Rain,” “Big Time” and “In Your Eyes”developed and evolved, with particular attention paid to the one-take drumming of Manu Katche on “Red Rain” and that funky Tony Levin bass line that drives “Sledgehammer.” One of the more interesting segments, however, finds Laurie Anderson spilling the beans about how the innovative and arty “This is the Picture (Excellent Birds),” an austere and almost futuristic collaboration with Gabriel that was light years ahead of its time, was so quickly thrown together, at least by Gabriel’s standards, who, as the documentary reveals, is infamous for taking his own sweet time in the studio and asking for a multitude of takes. 

Rich with entertaining anecdotes, the narrative – constructed with a wide-ranging collection of incisive and intelligent interviews – flows smoothly and logically, though not in what could be considered a linear fashion, from a generous overview of the record into a microscopic study of all its most intricate parts. “Classic Albums: So” also dissects Gabriel’s creative process with an invigorating intellectual curiosity, as evidenced by the sheer number of interviews the filmmakers undertook. All the while they also seem intent on letting viewers in on a little secret: Peter Gabriel has a sense of humor. Although it too often gets bogged down in the minutia of the recording process and glosses over some key aspects of So, the film is exactingly researched and forms a wonderfully edited backdrop of vintage video and photographic stills of Gabriel and company at work or at play – the images serving what is a fascinating story. And the bonus features offer more extensive looks at that “Sledgehammer” video that was so ahead of its time and other album tracks, so that viewers get a more complete picture of how the LP came together in the 35 extra minutes that didn't appear in the broadcast version of “Classic Albums: So.” Lanois calls Ashcombe House a “construction site,” where Gabriel and company did painstaking work on So, the most successful album of his career. He might have added that it was also where the magic happened, because there was some of that in the air as well.

-         –   Peter Lindblad

Saxon's 'Sacrifice' to drop Feb. 26

New album from NWOBHM legends a blast from the past

Saxon - Sacrifice 2013

Saxon’s 20^th album, titled Sacrifice, is due out Feb. 26 via UDR, and front man Biff Byford promises it’ll offer a return to traditional metallic Saxon values, as the band seeks to restore the Harley-like roar of its glory days.

“Less tricks, more power!” That’s what Byford wanted from Sacrifice, as he says, “My brief to the band was to be raw, be real and not be afraid to look back at the old classic material for inspiration.”

Not that Saxon has wavered much from those principles of late, as recent albums like A Call to Arms, Into the Labyrinth and The Inner Sanctum have, indeed, harnessed the horsepower and raw energy of classic LPs Wheels of Steel, Strong Arm of the Law, and Denim and Leather. New tracks like “Warriors of the Road,” “Wheels of Terror” and “Stand Up and Fight” are purported to be weighty and hard-hitting, with some elements of modern-day thrash thrown in for good measure and the invigorated guitar work from Paul Quinn and Doug Scarratt amplifying Saxon’s thunder.

“It’s certainly been done from a more early ‘80s thrashier perspective,” explains Byford, “and it’s not just guitars bashing away willy-nilly, they’ve got a fresh drive, purpose and perspective.”

It’ll be interesting to see what Saxon has cooked up this time around, considering the record was co-produced by Byford and the highly sought after Andy Sneap, who helmed the production of Accept’s last two records, the critically acclaimed Blood of the Nations and Stalingrad. Along with ten new songs, Saxon has some other surprises in store, including unique re-recordings of Saxon classic songs – among them an orchestrated version of “Crusader” and an acoustically rendered “Frozen Rainbow.”

Sacrifice will be released in a variety of formats, from a limited-edition deluxe digibook (including a bonus disc featuring the revisited classic tracks) to the standard jewel-case CD, a vinyl LP picture disc, a direct-to-consumer fan package (available exclusively for online order from online retailers), and as a digital download.

“From the songs to the production, I wanted to focus on the raw aspects which made us great in the first place,” says Byford. “And living in that rawness, combined with some great classic Saxon songwriting, has in my opinion made Saxon fresher than ever.”

Sacrifice track listing:

01. Procession

02. Sacrifice

03. Made in Belfast

04. Warriors of the Road

05. Guardians of the Tomb

06. Stand Up and Fight

07. Walking the Steel

08. Night of the Wolf

09. Wheels of Terror

10. Standing in a Queue

Bonus Disc:

01. Crusader (Orchestrated version)

02. Just let me Rock (Re-recorded version)

03. Requiem (Acoustic version)

04. Frozen Rainbow (Acoustic version)

05. Forever Free (Re-recorded version)

Jeff Scott Soto rises up with Yngwie Malmsteen

Melodic hard-rock singer reflects on his time with the virtuoso guitarist

By Peter Lindblad

Jeff Scott Soto’s plate is not just full ... it’s actually spilling over the sides.

Jeff Scott Soto - Damage Control 2012

One of the busiest and most in-demand singers in melodic hard rock, Soto spent much of last summer touring North America with “Queen Extravaganza,” at the behest of Queen’s drummer Roger Taylor. Before that, he released a solo album titled Damage Control in the spring on Frontiers Records and EMI, and more recently, he’s been carrying out vocal duties for Trans-Siberian Orchestra, while also collaborating in W.E.T. with a couple of hot-shot Swedish musicians, Robert Sall from Work of Art and Erik Martensson of Eclipse, on an unexpectedly heavy, but also thoroughly accessible, second LP, Rise Up, that is due out in February on Frontiers Records.

In 2013, Soto is scheduled to hit the road in support of Damage Control, and there may be more tours in the offing with W.E.T. and Trans-Siberian Orchestra. Versatility is his calling card, as Soto’s strong, commanding voice works well with pop-infused heavy metal, album-oriented rock and even hot funk.

Perhaps that’s what Yngwie Malmsteen found so appealing about Soto when the virtuoso guitarist hired the then 18-year-old unknown as lead vocalist for his Rising Force project way back in 1984. It was the chance of a lifetime for Soto.

“Basically, [Malmsteen] left Alcatrazz in 1984,” says Soto, recounting how he first hooked on with Malmsteen. “I just happened to be at a friend’s house when the news came out on ‘MTV News’ that he was looking for a singer. And literally, I just sent the cassette in, and – Cinderella-story luck later – I got the call to go meet him.”

To say the least, Malmsteen was a demanding taskmaster, and at first, Soto wasn’t sure where he stood with the supernatural shredder, whose ambition it was to make to classical music and heavy metal co-exist in a manner few had thought possible. The legendary Malmsteen put Soto's feet to the fire almost immediately.

Yngwie Malmsteen - Rising Force

“It was a strange meeting and a strange situation to be a part of, but it took three weeks of singing with him at his house and demoing up things until I was finally inducted as the permanent singer of the band,” remembers Soto. “And even the first two songs – the only songs that had vocals on them on the first album, the debut, Rising Force album – I didn’t know the songs until he put me in the studio. I basically learned them as I was singing them, and he kind of gave me the, ‘Well, if you sound good on them, then I’ll keep you on them. Otherwise, I’m going to sing on them.’ And so I literally had the time I was singing on them to learn them and get a good performance in, and he actually really liked it. Strangely enough, I was 18 years old. I had no idea what I was doing, and I pulled it off.”

In addition to his involvement with the Rising Force recording, Soto also sang on Malmsteen’s 1985 LP Marching Out. With Malmsteen controlling almost every aspect of his musical enterprise with an iron fist, Soto felt suffocated and wanted to spread his wings. So, he left soon after Marching Out and then helped get Talisman – the band he played in for 19 years – with bassist Marcel Jacob, who had also played in Malmsteen’s Rising Force band.

As for his time with Malmsteen, Soto has mixed feelings about it. Though it was certainly a great learning opportunity and a chance for increased exposure, Soto wished for a bigger say in the music.

When asked what it was like working with Malmsteen, Soto replied, “Well, I usually answer that question sort of tongue in cheek, and I usually answer that the same way: I didn’t really work with him … I worked for him. There were a few times where he kind of let me do my own thing when it was time for it, and we were collaborating and co-writing songs together, but he always had final say. He had a vision of what he wanted, and if it strayed too far from that vision, then he would cut it. It was a great situation for me as far as cutting my teeth, but it also was a frustrating one, which led me to not sing with him too long because I was too strong-headed over where I wanted to go. And I knew I wasn’t going to get that singing with him too long.”

With Swedish rockers Talisman, Soto took on a more prominent role, and the band experienced success in their home country and beyond. Interestingly, during our interview, Soto advanced the notion of a possible Talisman reunion in the summer of 2013, as well as his involvement in some potential Trans-Siberian Orchestra studio work and less wintery live outings for the epic power-metal institution. Stay tuned for further news on those subjects.

Best of 2012 - Classic Rock

Rush, Thin Lizzy, The Doors, ZZ Top find fountain of youth

By Peter Lindblad

Shaking off the rust that inevitably comes with old age, a number of classic-rock artists showed everybody that they refuse to go gently into that good night.

Rolling Stones - Grrr! 2012

Whether it was the Rolling Stones’ revving up their best song in years with “Doom and Gloom,” or Aerosmith bringing their own brand of “Global Warming” to the masses in live shows that were full of piss and vigor, old greats like those icons, as well as KISS and Bruce Springsteen, burned their AARP cards and did the kind of great work – be it in the studio, as with Springsteen’s Wrecking Ball or Heart’s Fanatic, or on the road – expected of them 20 or 30 years ago.

There were incredible songs, such as Springsteen’s “We Take Care of Our Own” or Joe Walsh’s “Analog Man,” and albums like KISS’s Monster that had unexpected vitality and inspired performances. And tours like the Loverboy/Journey/Pat Benatar triple bill served notice that many of these bands are still capable of delivering the goods onstage. Truly, though, one band rose above them all in 2012, putting out one of the best records of their career and finally getting their just due from critics, while other releases simply outshined the competition. Here’s the best classic rock had to offer in 2012.

Artist of the Year: Rush

Rush - Clockwork Angels 2012

Voters for the Rock And Roll Hall of Fame finally saw the light in 2012. After shunning Rush for so long, they did the right thing for once and selected the Canadian progressive-rock power trio for membership, perhaps earning them some small measure of goodwill from their harshest detractors – although they stand to be inundated with slings and arrows for denying Deep Purple again, and deservedly so. What exactly was it that tipped the scales for Rush this time around? Could it be the fact that they produced one of the year’s best albums in Clockwork Angels? Undoubtedly, that had something to do with it, especially when critics that had been unkind – to put it charitably – toward Rush in the past gave in and applauded a record of sublime beauty, complex musicianship and soaring ambition. A sci-fi concept album with a compelling anti-authoritarian narrative, steam-punk imagery and coming-of-age drama, Clockwork Angels is a tour de force of heavy, intricately constructed guitars (see “Headlong Flight” and “BU2B” for proof), crafty melodies, shifting moods and textures, and epic arrangements – in other words, a Rush album. Sometimes the Rock Hall voters need to be hit over the head a number of times before they finally get it, and it seems that Rush knocked some sense into them in 2012.

Album of the Year: ZZ Top – La Futura (Universal Republic)

ZZ Top - La Futura 2012

La Futura, as it turns out, is deeply rooted in ZZ Top’s past, and that makes it a welcome sight in 2012. A spicy, simmering pot full to the brim of Texas blues-fired boogie, with some of the tastiest licks Billy Gibbons has cooked up in quite a while – this being ZZ Top’s first album in nine years – La Futura is nasty and mean from jump-street, with tracks like “Chartreuse,” “Big Shiny Nine” and “I Don’t Wanna Lose, You” recalling the wicked, dusty Panhandle grooves of dirty classics like “La Grange,” “Tush” and “Cheap Sunglasses.” Like a strutting striptease, the tantalizing “Consumption” is trashy, honky-tonkin’ fun, while the soulful “Over You” is a surprisingly tender and heartfelt love song that comes straight out of the Stax Records playbook. And even though a lot of La Futura harkens back to 1973, it has a modern production sheen to it that doesn’t tame these lions, and the first single, “I Gotsta Get Paid,” has more swagger and tight, stop-start hooks than the Black Keys could ever hope to obtain.

Song of the Year: Rush – “The Wreckers” (off of the album Clockwork Angels on Roadrunner Records)

No one has ever accused Rush of sounding like R.E.M. or The Byrds or Matthew Sweet, and there’s good reason for that. Jangly power-pop has never been Rush’s cup of tea – that is, until now. There’s a bright, sunny quality to the guitars in the intro and the verses to “The Wreckers” that couldn’t possibly sound less like Rush, and yet there it is. And it reaches out its hand to invite you in, a warm smile on Geddy Lee’s face and Alex Lifeson’s colorful guitar licks beckoning with a shiny, happy sound that may or may not hide a dark truth. Be careful of these men, for they are not what they seem. Ultimately, they want to warn you that what is sometimes sold as the truth can often be a lie, as Lee sings in the transcendent choruses, “All I know is that sometimes you have to be wary of a miracle too good to be true.” “The Wreckers,” on the other hand, is not. At the very least it is angelic. Awash in swerving, swooping strings and cinematic keyboards, those magical, glorious choruses where a world-weary Lee dispenses that sage advice are some of the most emotionally powerful and soul-stirring moments Rush has ever brought to bear on record. And there is a bridge in “The Wreckers” that is dangerous to cross, for it traverses a deep, wide canyon of synthesizers, crashing drums and doom-laden guitars that is simply magnificent to behold. Do not be wary of “The Wreckers.” It might not be a miracle, but it’s pretty damn close.

Best Concert DVD: The Doors at the Bowl ‘68 (Eagle Vision)

The Doors - Live at The Bowl '68 2012

For its historic value alone, “The Doors at the Bowl ‘68” is heads and shoulders above any concert DVD released this year. Restored in painstaking fashion from the original camera negatives, the band’s entire performance from that night is included here, and it features the band in high spirits. Loose and improvisational when the occasion calls for it, the threesome of John Densmore, Ray Manzarek and Robby Krieger could go on endless journeys into the jungles of the musical subconscious, but they could be tight and sinewy. Playing at the famed Hollywood Bowl for the first time – in the area they called home, no less – The Doors set the night on fire, and a particularly impish and focused Jim Morrison howled and sang with a primal energy that only he could summon. An abundance of incisive and fascinating bonus features put the event into perspective and the inclusion of performances of “Hello, I Love You,” “The WASP (Texas Radio and the Big Beat)” and “Spanish Caravan” that had previously been lost to time have found their way back. And it’s good to have them again.    

Best Documentary DVD: Freddie Mercury – The Great Pretender (Eagle Vision)

Onstage, Freddie Mercury was indestructible, a force of nature whose flamboyant showmanship knew no bounds and whose voice rang out as clear as a bell in loud stadiums full of adoring fans who hung on his every word – that is, when they weren’t singing along with him. That was the Freddie the world knew. But, in his personal life, Mercury was less sure of himself, a man who sometimes made mistakes and was a slave to his appetites. “Freddie Mercury – The Great Pretender” explores every facet of the singer’s extraordinary life, from his globe-trotting childhood through his wildly successful, if sometimes contentious, studio work with Queen and on to his fascination with opera and the ups and downs of his inconsistent solo work. Loaded with archival images and video footage – including sensational live material – “Freddie Mercury – The Great Pretender” also packs in revealing, insightful commentary and fascinating anecdotes from Brian May, Roger Taylor and a host of other Queen confidantes. It’s a loving portrait of an artist who died too young, and yet, it’s a completely honest rendering that pulls no punches. Mercury probably wouldn’t have it any other way. 

Best Live Album: Thin Lizzy – Live in London 2011 (Four Worlds USA)

Thin Lizzy - Live in London 2011

Phil Lynott isn’t going to come walking through that door … ever again. He’s gone, but the amazing rock ‘n’ roll he left behind deserves to be heard in a live setting, doesn’t it? And who better to play it than Thin Lizzy survivors Scott Gorham and Brian Downey. A fitting tribute to their fallen friend, this concert LP is 19 tracks of explosive hard-rock, containing all the Thin Lizzy hits and then some in a fantastic set list. The mix is primed for optimum power, and this collection of musicians performs classics like “Jailbreak,” “Cowboy Song” and “The Boys are Back in Town” with grit, enthusiasm and swashbuckling panache, those well-executed, signature twin-guitar leads tangled up so exquisitely like ballroom dancers twirling around on the edge of a switchblade. There’s a lot of ground to cover with Thin Lizzy, and this particular incarnation does its best to thumb through the catalog and pick out only the choicest cuts. It’s a flawed record, to be sure, but there’s no doubting the joy and electricity with which Lizzy performs these classics. Word has it that some of the boys from this version of Lizzy are starting a new band called Black Star Riders. Based on this release, which in my eyes becomes more thrilling with repeated listens, expectations should be exceedingly high for them.

Best Reissue: Blue Oyster Cult – The Columbia Albums Collection (Legacy Recordings

Blue Oyster Cult - The Columbia Albums Collection 2012

The word “exhaustive” doesn’t even begin to describe this archeological dig. For starters, this set, released in celebration of Blue Oyster Cult’s 40^th anniversary, gathers together every last one of their studio albums released between 1972 and 1988, from their self-titled debut LP on through to Imaginos. That means it includes classic albums such as Agents of Fortune, Spectres, Fire of Unknown Origin, and Cultosaurus Erectus, among others. Oh, and did I mention the live albums? On Your Feet or on Your Knees, Some Enchanted Evening and Extraterrestrial Live are remastered for greater sonic impact and expansiveness. Packed to the gills with great photos and fascinating liner notes, there is a 40-page booklet that accompanies the collection, which is packaged so snugly and efficiently that it won’t throw your cataloging system – if you have one – completely out of whack. You want rarities? There’s a disc for that, too, plus another that gathers as many of their radio broadcasts as they can find and downloads and a bushel full of bonus tracks. Where other classic-rock artists, or rather their record labels, seem to take pleasure in releasing their past works in dribs and drabs, offering very little in the way of rare stuff, Blue Oyster Cult has done it in one fell swoop and they have given the people what they wanted.

Best Book: Gregg Allman – My Cross to Bear (William Morrow)



Gregg Allman - My Cross to Bear 2012

Written in collaboration with esteemed music journalist Alan Light, “My Cross to Bear” finds Gregg Allman in a reflective, confessional mood. Ambling easily through the past, Allman takes his time getting to the real meat of the story, but when he does, the tales he tells are sometimes unsettling, occasionally funny, and often heartbreaking. Life, love, drugs and music – that’s what Allman’s book is about, and it’s a portrayal that isn’t a flattering one. Looking into the mirror, Allman sees his flaws in sharp relief and is willing to expose them for all to read. Once you get past all the self-excoriating personal revelations, there is plenty of behind-the-scenes information on the Allman Brothers to excite fans of their music.

The year in heavy metal - The best of 2012

Van Halen, Judas Priest, High on Fire and others make our list

By Peter Lindblad

Overkill - The Electric Age

It was a bull market for heavy metal in 2012. Any bears who predicted a downturn after a very strong 2011 were quickly proven wrong when Overkill’s The Electric Age was released early this year and it served notice that the East Coast thrash-metal kingpins were back and better than ever.

And then, the new Van Halen record came out, and it didn’t suck. In fact, it stunningly good, and even if it was pieced together with leftovers from the good old days, their ability to pull it all together and make something coherent – and oh so powerful – out of all those scraps certainly made everybody stand up and applaud. Were that all to 2012, we could have suffered through the rest of it without whining about the state of heavy metal, but there was more, much more, to this year than two electrifying releases.

It was a great year for grizzled veterans like Kreator and Testament and younger acts like High on Fire, Pallbearer, The Sword and Whitechapel – all of whom unleashed hell in 2012 with stunning albums. Saxon and Ozzy Osbourne’s band received their just due with amazing DVDs; in Saxon’s case it was a captivating documentary while Ozzy came out with a thrilling concert video from the “Diary of the Madman” tour, where Brad Gillis had just replaced Randy Rhoads following Rhoads’s death. And then there was Iron Maiden, showing everybody just how it’s done onstage with an incredible world tour, supported by none other than Alice Cooper. So, with 2013 just about upon us, it was time to reveal our best of 2012 heavy metal selections.

Metal Artist of the Year/Comeback of the Year: Van Halen

Van Halen - A Different Kind of Truth 2012

Expectations couldn’t have been lower, especially after the release of that lead trial balloon known as “Tattoo.” Underwhelming in almost every possible way, from its awkward verses to choruses as glitzy and smarmy as a Las Vegas lounge lizard, the 2011 single had everyone talking – only most of that conversation revolved around how historically awful “Tattoo” was. The bar wasn’t just lowered. It had crashed through the floor. And then, A Different Kind of Truth arrived, and it was magnificent – aggressive and heavy, with Eddie Van Halen putting on an awesome fireworks display of dazzling solos and dynamic riffs. Of course, the triumphant tour that was supposed to vault them back to the top of the hard-rock heap ended rather abruptly, and Eddie’s health problems were a buzz kill, so it wasn’t the best of times for Van Halen. Still, in 2012, Van Halen redeemed itself mightily with A Different Kind of Truth, and that was no mean feat, considering how far they’d fallen.

Best Metal Album: High On Fire, De Vermis Mysteriis (Entertainment One)

High on Fire - De Vermis Mysteriis 2012

This could just as easily go to Kreator’s Phantom Antichrist or Over Kill’s The Electric Age, but the tumultuous De Vermis Mysteriis is such an intense, churning maelstrom of ragged, crazed thrash and pulverizing sludge metal that it simply boggles the mind. His throat shredded almost beyond repair, Matt Pike rages maniacally about Jesus’ cursed, time-traveling twin brother and the devastation he has wrought in an epic concept album engulfed in thundering drums, pile-driving bass and roiling guitar riffs. Mother Nature may have met her match.

Best Metal Song: Testament – “Native Blood” (Off of the album Dark Roots of Earth on Nuclear Blast Records)



Testament - Dark Roots of Earth 2012

Rightly proud of his Native American heritage, a battle-scarred Chuck Billy belts out the lyrics to “Native Blood” with the full-throated roar of a runaway freight train. Impassioned and defiant, Billy’s booming, resonant voice adds gravitas and emotional depth to a powerful song of independence and self-reliance that stirs the soul, a modern-day anthem for indigenous peoples everywhere who feel the weight of oppression upon them. And while the words that steam out of Billy’s fiery mouth carry both a political and social significance for those he’s trying to rouse to action, it’s the deliriously infectious riffs and terrific momentum “Native Blood” gathers – not to mention a blast-furnace chorus that even Metallica would kill to call its own – that make it the standout track on one of the finest albums of Testament’s glorious career.

Best New Hard Rock Band: World Fire Brigade

World Fire Brigade - Spreading My Wings 2012

World Fire Brigade is not just some reasonable facsimile of Fuel, even if its degrees of separation from those ‘90s alternative rockers are way fewer than six. See, Brett Scallions has teamed with Smile Empty Soul’s Sean Danielsen and producer Eddie Wohl on a new – well, fairly new, having actually been hatched in 2009 – project that is full-on metal … cross my heart, it is. Of course, it helps to have Wohl, who has worked as a producer for none other than Anthrax, onboard. And then there’s the presence of Anthrax’s Rob Caggiano and closet metalhead Mike McCready of Pearl Jam fame to add sonic heft to the proceedings. In interviews prior to this release, Scallions said World Fire Brigade was heavier and more metallic than Fuel, and he wasn’t kidding. Thick with dynamic, serpentine riffs, World Fire Brigade’s surprisingly powerful debut, released this past summer, is chock full of gripping hooks and compelling songs that would be commercially viable were it not for radio’s aversion to comeback stories.

Best Concert DVD: Ozzy Osbourne Speak of the Devil (Eagle Vision)

Ozzy Osbourne - Speak of the Devil 2012

On June 12, 1982, Ozzy Osbourne’s “Diary of a Madman” tour rolled into Irvine Meadows, California, having only recently buried guitarist Randy Rhoads, the man primarily responsible for reviving the career of one of metal’s greatest frontmen. With heavy hearts, and a new guitarist in Brad Gillis, Ozzy and his band put on an electrifying performance for the ages, as they plowed through a set list heavy on selections from Ozzy’s two solo records – plus a doom-laden medley of Black Sabbath’s “Iron Man,” “Children of the Grave” and “Paranoid” to close the show. Of great historical importance, “Speak of the Devil” captures all the madness with varied camera work, their lenses focused mainly on an enthusiastic Ozzy imploring the crowd to go nuts and Gillis’s fiery fretwork. Backed by a dark, gothic castle and a huge drum riser for Tommy Aldridge, a reinvigorated Ozzy seems hell-bent on proving to everyone that Rhoads’ death will not send him into another tailspin like the one that nearly killed him after being summarily dismissed from Sabbath. This is a fantastic entry in Ozzy’s journal of rock ‘n’r roll insanity.

Best Documentary DVD: Saxon Heavy Metal Thunder – The Movie (UDR/Militia Guard/EMI)

Saxon - Heavy Metal Thunder 2012

Sex, tea and rock ‘n’ roll? Evidently, at least until bassist Steve Dawson dabbled briefly with cocaine, substance abuse wasn’t part of the equation for working-class heroes Saxon, one of the bands that spearheaded the New Wave of British Heavy Metal. Abstaining from alcohol and drugs, these teetotalers preferred less powerful brews, but they did indulge in other forms of debauchery offstage – namely, doing groupies in the back of a cramped touring van, where privacy wasn’t an option. Inside the venue, they were all business, rocking as if their lives were at stake in blazing live shows that became the stuff of legend. And yet, at least in America, Saxon never really hit the big time, despite the patronage of Lars Ulrich and the respect of everybody from Motorhead to Doro. That is a damn shame. Incapable of putting on airs, Saxon pushed their records into the red more often than not. Appropriately enough, this thoroughly engrossing, warts-and-all documentary is a no-frills, completely candid oral history, with some narration from Fastway’s Toby Jepson, of the band from stem to stern – augmented by rare concert footage that confirms their reputation as one of the hottest running engines ever built by heavy metal. Here’s hoping the long arm of the law – and time – won’t ever catch up with these hard-rock veterans.

Best Live Album: U.D.O. – Live in Sofia (AFM Records)

U.D.O. - Live in Sofia 2012

The greatest live albums don’t just make you feel as if you were there, front row, experiencing the show up close. They make you suicidal over the fact that you missed it. Such is the case with U.D.O.’s Live in Sofia, a thundering, electric performance fueled by the raucous energy of a salivating crowd. Surveying material from Udo Dirkschneider’s days with Accept and his grossly underappreciated solo career, Live in Sofia is a captivating listen, with Udo growling and screaming like a caged animal and his band charging through a tantalizing set list with technical brilliance and pure adrenaline. Bulgaria’s capitol is probably still burning.  

Best Metal Reissue: Judas Priest – Screaming for Vengeance Special 30^th Anniversary Edition (Columbia Legacy)

Judas Priest - Screaming for Vengeance 2012

No other metal reissue had a chance in 2012, not with the bonus DVD version of Priest’s historic 1983 US Festival concert – the one everyone’s been lusting after for years – added onto it. One of the truly great albums in heavy metal history, Screaming for Vengeance goes through a revved-up remastering that packs on the sonic muscle and makes it gleam like chrome. As with the 2001 reissue, this edition includes the Turbo outtake “Prisoner of Your Eyes” and “Devil’s Child,” but this time around, scorching live versions of “Electric Eye,” “Riding on the Wind,” “You’ve Got Another Thing Coming,” “Screaming for Vengeance” and “Devil’s Child” – all culled from a stirring 1982 performance in San Antonio, Texas – fill out this absolutely essential reissue. Alone, the US Festival footage would be worth its weight in gold, as Priest delivers the goods and then some with a hammer-and-tong performance that is absolutely scintillating. Packaged together, this reissue is a must-have.

Best Book: Randy Rhoads by Steven Rosen and Andrew Klein (Velocity Books)

Randy Rhoads - 2012

Yes, the price tag is a bit steep. These days, who in their right minds is going to shell out around $99 for a book? This one just might be worth it. An extravagant package, overflowing with colorful and rarely, if ever, seen photos of the late guitarist and a plethora of memorabilia, the 400-page Randy Rhoads is a work of outstanding journalism. Exhaustively researched, with the authors interviewing seemingly almost everyone who ever came in contact with Rhoads, this fully loaded, bulging biography takes readers into studio sessions with the Blizzard of Ozz band, pieces together the events leading up to Rhoads’s tragic death and the sad aftermath, and relates, in detailed fashion, Rhoads’s unusual childhood and his rigorous musical education. And that’s just a small taste of what’s inside this extraordinary biography.

Best Tour: Iron Maiden, Maiden England World Tour, 2012

Iron Maiden - Maiden England Tour 2012

Supported by shock-rock superstar Alice Cooper for a smashing double bill, Iron Maiden stampeded through North America and points abroad as if sitting atop fire-breathing steeds and whipping them into the fog of battle. Two elaborate stage shows, one the product of Cooper’s nightmarish imagination and the other an ambitious fantasy merging historical and scientific references with dazzling technology and the ever-present Eddie, gave concertgoers an unforgettable thrill, but it was Iron Maiden who stole the show. Still possessing a strong voice that climbs to places few singers can ever hope to reach, Bruce Dickinson again leads the charge through a play list reminiscent of the “Seventh Son of a Seventh Son” tour, and the rest of the gang plays with vim and vigor, clearly relishing the nostalgia and warm embrace of frenzied, almost obsessive, crowds. Iron Maiden rides again.