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  • Interview with Sinner’s Row

     
     
    Members answering: James – Vocals & Lead Guitar, Steph – Rhythm Guitar, Gordon – Bass and backing vocals, Leo – Drums

    First and fore most who came up with the name:   
    That’s a funny story because we were stressing about it for weeks. Gordon and myself (James) had gone back and forth with 100 different names. We were at lunch with my girlfriend Ashley one day and we were like.. Saints and Sinnners.. no that’s taken.. Saints Row is a game.. then Ashley piped up “Sinner’s Row?” and Gordon and I looked at each other like.. hmm.. maybe? So we slept on it for a day and it still felt right so we went with it.

     How would you describe your music? 
    Gordon – Old school thrash/grove metal with a modern edge to it
    Leo – I think its heavy, melodic and full of groove. The drum sound is very important to me as it is the foundation of the band. If my drums aren’t tuned properly, the overall sound of the band is affected in a negative way. We want our audience to not just hear the music, but we want them to feel it as well.
    James – I always say it’s just old school metal.. Big-4-influenced thrash.

    Take us through the writing process. Does everyone contribute? 
    Gordon – Lyrically it’s James and myself, my writing style is more of a story and then James and I work the lyrics into the proper cadence so it fits the music. Musically it’s everyone in the band working together as a team.

    Leo – I don’t really contribute to the lyric writing process. I pretty much stick to writing the drum tracks for all of the songs. My current schedule doesn’t allow me to contribute at this time. Just really busy with other stuff.
    James – One of us will come up with an idea and bring it in. For lyrics thus far it’s been Gordon or myself, or our old buddy Anthony working with us. Gordon usually starts with a stream of consciousness idea and lets the words flow, then we massage it into the music we think matches the feel. Me, I start with a melody or vocal cadence in my head and work from that.
    Something in your personal music collections that fans might not expect?  
     Steph – Wham
    Gordon – NWA, Ice Cube, Alabama, Kenny Rogers, Enya and Lorrena Mckinnett and Irish Folk Music, just to name a few.
    Leo – A few Jazz, Blues, and Country albums. I grew up on Country music and later Rock. I really got into Jazz in high school due to the odd time signature’s and timing, and with Country music I learned how to play with finesse.   Then I heard YYZ for the first time, and it all came together.
    James – Panic! At the Disco.. I’m a big fan of Urie’s vocals and writing. Bob Schneider, another great songwriter from Austin.
    What has been the most challenging aspect of being a musician 
    Steph – Being unique
    Gordon – Since I have only been playing bass for 3 years, its been getting better at playing, understanding what I’m playing and why the chords work or don’t work.
    Working a full time job and playing gigs can be challenging at time as well.
    Leo – I think balancing the different genres and styles of music that I enjoy playing. I’m a fan of music, and I will try to play just about anything on drums and make it sound cool!
    James – Music/Work/Life balance for sure, and trying to constantly improve and evolve. Stagnation is death in my view. So I’m always working on what can I do to level up.
    What makes a perfect song for you? What are the elements for your ears? 
     Steph – Incorporating the melody of the song. Anyone can play fast, but the beauty of music is when you are able to make it melodic
    Gordon – It’s a song you can feel not just hear, when the lyrics and the melody match up and you have to song along.
    Leo – I’ve never really thought about what makes a perfect song for me. A good song for me is one that tells a really good story, and I can hear all of the instruments involved in their own unique way through the emotional 10 minute high!
    James – Storytelling and being memorable. You have to balance inspiring emotion through your story and that little special something that makes it stick in the mind. It’s not easy. I aspire to that one day. Chris Stapleton said in an interview once that if writing a hit song was easy, cuz it pays well, everyone would do it.
    Favorite local club to perform in? 
    Steph – BFE (Only one i’ve done lol)
    Gordon, Leo, and James – Acadia Bar & Grill in North Houston, Tommy is one of the best sound gurus in Houston!
    Name one band that you would love to tour with? 
    Steph and Leo – Metallica
    Gordon – There are so many, but one I know for sure is Amon Amarth since Slayer is retiring
    James – Testament. True legends and seemingly such down to earth dudes.
    Strangest thing that ever happened at a gig 
    Gordon – Nothing really strange has happened yet, but my strap came off my bass and I had to play the rest of the song holding it, not strange but embarrassing
    Leo – When I was with The Badd Boys From Houston Tejas back in 94, we opened up for a touring band at Headbangers. Well those dudes were stoned out of their minds and were playing like shit! So the promoter shut them down, and asked us to finish the show.
    James – We were playing a show in Beaumont and we blew a breaker mid-set. Had to move everything over to another circuit.. that was pretty funny.
    Is social media a positive or negative impact on your music? 
    Steph – Positive. Social media is a way to get our music heard and recognized by the metal fans out there
    Gordon – Both, getting your band out there to the masses is always a positive thing, but having to live within the constraints and rules they have can be a problem.  You live or die by what is seen or heard on your page, but that’s a very small part of your total works.  If they don’t like what they hear it likely they won’t listen to anything else the might fall in love with.
    Leo – I can’t really say, cuz I’m really not into social media. But I think it can only be positive if the music is really good. I think it’s negative when drama and rants get involved.
    James – Good for indy musicians overall. You can promote yourself and get your music out there, the hard part is standing out among the flood.
    Any subject matter you will not write about? 
     Steph and James – Politics
    Gordon – Me personally no, I have no issues writing about anything.
    Leo – My family! We are very private and we like it that way!
    Anything you would like to say to your fans? 
    Steph – Thanks for supporting Sinner’s Row and rock on

    Gordon – Thank you from the bottom of my heart, without the fans there would be no reason to play.  I am always humbled by the fact that someone is into what I have had a hand in creating and I will forever be grateful.

    Leo – We are dedicated to writing and recording the best material for everyone!  Unfortunately that takes time, but time is what we have.

    James – Just all the love and thanks I can muster. Our fans make it fun to jump on stage and I’m in awe and humbled every time I hear someone say how a riff or a chorus stuck in their head for a day. Audience is everything for a musician.. so thank you, thank you.

    https://www.facebook.com › Pages › Public Figure › Musician/Band › Sinner’s Row

  • Interview with Sinner’s Row

     
     
    Members answering: James – Vocals & Lead Guitar, Steph – Rhythm Guitar, Gordon – Bass and backing vocals, Leo – Drums

    First and fore most who came up with the name:   
    That’s a funny story because we were stressing about it for weeks. Gordon and myself (James) had gone back and forth with 100 different names. We were at lunch with my girlfriend Ashley one day and we were like.. Saints and Sinnners.. no that’s taken.. Saints Row is a game.. then Ashley piped up “Sinner’s Row?” and Gordon and I looked at each other like.. hmm.. maybe? So we slept on it for a day and it still felt right so we went with it.

     How would you describe your music? 
    Gordon – Old school thrash/grove metal with a modern edge to it
    Leo – I think its heavy, melodic and full of groove. The drum sound is very important to me as it is the foundation of the band. If my drums aren’t tuned properly, the overall sound of the band is affected in a negative way. We want our audience to not just hear the music, but we want them to feel it as well.
    James – I always say it’s just old school metal.. Big-4-influenced thrash.

    Take us through the writing process. Does everyone contribute? 
    Gordon – Lyrically it’s James and myself, my writing style is more of a story and then James and I work the lyrics into the proper cadence so it fits the music. Musically it’s everyone in the band working together as a team.

    Leo – I don’t really contribute to the lyric writing process. I pretty much stick to writing the drum tracks for all of the songs. My current schedule doesn’t allow me to contribute at this time. Just really busy with other stuff.
    James – One of us will come up with an idea and bring it in. For lyrics thus far it’s been Gordon or myself, or our old buddy Anthony working with us. Gordon usually starts with a stream of consciousness idea and lets the words flow, then we massage it into the music we think matches the feel. Me, I start with a melody or vocal cadence in my head and work from that.
    Something in your personal music collections that fans might not expect?  
     Steph – Wham
    Gordon – NWA, Ice Cube, Alabama, Kenny Rogers, Enya and Lorrena Mckinnett and Irish Folk Music, just to name a few.
    Leo – A few Jazz, Blues, and Country albums. I grew up on Country music and later Rock. I really got into Jazz in high school due to the odd time signature’s and timing, and with Country music I learned how to play with finesse.   Then I heard YYZ for the first time, and it all came together.
    James – Panic! At the Disco.. I’m a big fan of Urie’s vocals and writing. Bob Schneider, another great songwriter from Austin.
    What has been the most challenging aspect of being a musician 
    Steph – Being unique
    Gordon – Since I have only been playing bass for 3 years, its been getting better at playing, understanding what I’m playing and why the chords work or don’t work.
    Working a full time job and playing gigs can be challenging at time as well.
    Leo – I think balancing the different genres and styles of music that I enjoy playing. I’m a fan of music, and I will try to play just about anything on drums and make it sound cool!
    James – Music/Work/Life balance for sure, and trying to constantly improve and evolve. Stagnation is death in my view. So I’m always working on what can I do to level up.
    What makes a perfect song for you? What are the elements for your ears? 
     Steph – Incorporating the melody of the song. Anyone can play fast, but the beauty of music is when you are able to make it melodic
    Gordon – It’s a song you can feel not just hear, when the lyrics and the melody match up and you have to song along.
    Leo – I’ve never really thought about what makes a perfect song for me. A good song for me is one that tells a really good story, and I can hear all of the instruments involved in their own unique way through the emotional 10 minute high!
    James – Storytelling and being memorable. You have to balance inspiring emotion through your story and that little special something that makes it stick in the mind. It’s not easy. I aspire to that one day. Chris Stapleton said in an interview once that if writing a hit song was easy, cuz it pays well, everyone would do it.
    Favorite local club to perform in? 
    Steph – BFE (Only one i’ve done lol)
    Gordon, Leo, and James – Acadia Bar & Grill in North Houston, Tommy is one of the best sound gurus in Houston!
    Name one band that you would love to tour with? 
    Steph and Leo – Metallica
    Gordon – There are so many, but one I know for sure is Amon Amarth since Slayer is retiring
    James – Testament. True legends and seemingly such down to earth dudes.
    Strangest thing that ever happened at a gig 
    Gordon – Nothing really strange has happened yet, but my strap came off my bass and I had to play the rest of the song holding it, not strange but embarrassing
    Leo – When I was with The Badd Boys From Houston Tejas back in 94, we opened up for a touring band at Headbangers. Well those dudes were stoned out of their minds and were playing like shit! So the promoter shut them down, and asked us to finish the show.
    James – We were playing a show in Beaumont and we blew a breaker mid-set. Had to move everything over to another circuit.. that was pretty funny.
    Is social media a positive or negative impact on your music? 
    Steph – Positive. Social media is a way to get our music heard and recognized by the metal fans out there
    Gordon – Both, getting your band out there to the masses is always a positive thing, but having to live within the constraints and rules they have can be a problem.  You live or die by what is seen or heard on your page, but that’s a very small part of your total works.  If they don’t like what they hear it likely they won’t listen to anything else the might fall in love with.
    Leo – I can’t really say, cuz I’m really not into social media. But I think it can only be positive if the music is really good. I think it’s negative when drama and rants get involved.
    James – Good for indy musicians overall. You can promote yourself and get your music out there, the hard part is standing out among the flood.
    Any subject matter you will not write about? 
     Steph and James – Politics
    Gordon – Me personally no, I have no issues writing about anything.
    Leo – My family! We are very private and we like it that way!
    Anything you would like to say to your fans? 
    Steph – Thanks for supporting Sinner’s Row and rock on

    Gordon – Thank you from the bottom of my heart, without the fans there would be no reason to play.  I am always humbled by the fact that someone is into what I have had a hand in creating and I will forever be grateful.

    Leo – We are dedicated to writing and recording the best material for everyone!  Unfortunately that takes time, but time is what we have.

    James – Just all the love and thanks I can muster. Our fans make it fun to jump on stage and I’m in awe and humbled every time I hear someone say how a riff or a chorus stuck in their head for a day. Audience is everything for a musician.. so thank you, thank you.

    https://www.facebook.com › Pages › Public Figure › Musician/Band › Sinner’s Row

  • Interview With BARBE-Q-BARBIES




    –First and fore most who came up with the name?
    Niina: I came up with the name from Soundgarden’s ”Black Hole Sun” music video. There’s a little girl grilling a Barbie doll.

    –How would you describe your music?
    Heidi: It’s pretty much classic rock with various ”spices” on it. New album is filled with fresh ideas that we hadn’t have chance to carry out on previous albums. Tight rock attitude with a good old punch in the face. This time we are also providing some sentimental wild west guitars and lil’ groovy funk elements as well.
    Niina: It definitely got some new elements comparing the previous ones, but at the same time it still sounds like B-Q-B.

    –Take us through the writing process. Does everyone contribute?
    Heidi: Usually Niki brings a singing melody idea and we start to work on that. With new album we cooperated with the whole band in most of the songs.
    Niki:I usually sit at home working on writing melodies and then I ́ll bring my ideas to the band practise and then we start working on building up the songs all together, but sometimes we might just jam at rehearsal and then a song gets born that way.
    Niina: In addition to this, we also had few outsiders to help us through this album process. As writers and arrangement side too.

    -Something in your personal music collections that fans might not expect?
    Heidi: Heidi: Adele, Regina Spector, powerful female singers.
    Niki: Ed Sheeran.
    Niina: I’m a fan of Motown singing groups such as The Ronettes, The Supremes, and The Temptations just to mention few. My oldest and the ”cheeriest” favorite is also The Beach Boys. Been listening to them since I was 3-4 years old to date. I could call it real love.

    -What has been the most challenging aspect of being a musician?
    Heidi: The trick is to combine timetables in music career and normal life. Being confident and believing on your own skills is the hardest part of it.
    Niki: The feeling of just standing in one place and not going anywhere, its been a struggle for many years to keep the band still standing. It’s requires lots of hard work and patience.
    Niina: The fact that you put so much time and effort to your music career and still not able to survive financially without having a Day job.

    –What makes a perfect song for you? What are the elements for your ears?
    Heidi: good song is a good song, genre doesn’t matter. The lyrics of the song and a story behind it has a big impact on me. A great song strikes deeply and gives you shivers. The singer’s interpretation is very important.
    Niki: For me it’s when a song gets under your skin and touches your heart either you get goosebumps or you wanna shed a tear.
    Good example is Queen’s ”Who wants to live forever”.
    Niina: It’s a perfect combination with great melody and good interpretation. A really great song stays in your heart forever and gives you strength to carry on through hard times.

    –Favorite local club to perform in?
    Niki: In Helsinki it must be On The Rocks, its a small intimate place with limited capacity of audience, but the spirit there is great when you perform.
    Niina: For me definitely Tavastia. The most legendary rock club in Helsinki. I’ve seen so many Idols of mine on that stage. Still hope to play my 4th show there with full crowd. That would be great. That’s something to aim for.

    –Name one band that you would love to tour with?
    Niki: The list is huge; Rolling Stones, Queens of the stone age, AC/DC, L7, The Hellacopters just to name
    few ..can you hook us up? ;D
    Niina: Rival Sons would be awesome!

    –Strangest thing that ever happened at a gig?
    Niki: Getting a men’s underwear thrown in my face while preforming ;D
    Niina: Getting top of my the head burned by a  strong spotlight on top of me. It was a pure torture.

    –Is social media a positive or negative impact on your music?
    Niki: Definitely positive

    -Any subject matter you will not write about?
    Niki: Something that would offend someone. For example, we wouldn’t make hate songs of known people etc…
    If I’m angry in my lyrics, it’s always something to do with my personal experiences.
    I also try to avoid political subjects.
    Niina: I like to think that we stand for equality and charity in every way. Hate is hate, but in our case hate comes in a form of love. We’ve all had our rocks on the road, but we wouldn’t throw them too hard on passers-by.

    –Anything you would like to say to your fans?
    Niki: Thank you for your support and welcome new listeners! We really hope we get to see you at our shows in the future.     ❤


    https://barbeqbarbies.com/
     

  • Interview With BARBE-Q-BARBIES




    –First and fore most who came up with the name?
    Niina: I came up with the name from Soundgarden’s ”Black Hole Sun” music video. There’s a little girl grilling a Barbie doll.

    –How would you describe your music?
    Heidi: It’s pretty much classic rock with various ”spices” on it. New album is filled with fresh ideas that we hadn’t have chance to carry out on previous albums. Tight rock attitude with a good old punch in the face. This time we are also providing some sentimental wild west guitars and lil’ groovy funk elements as well.
    Niina: It definitely got some new elements comparing the previous ones, but at the same time it still sounds like B-Q-B.

    –Take us through the writing process. Does everyone contribute?
    Heidi: Usually Niki brings a singing melody idea and we start to work on that. With new album we cooperated with the whole band in most of the songs.
    Niki:I usually sit at home working on writing melodies and then I ́ll bring my ideas to the band practise and then we start working on building up the songs all together, but sometimes we might just jam at rehearsal and then a song gets born that way.
    Niina: In addition to this, we also had few outsiders to help us through this album process. As writers and arrangement side too.

    -Something in your personal music collections that fans might not expect?
    Heidi: Heidi: Adele, Regina Spector, powerful female singers.
    Niki: Ed Sheeran.
    Niina: I’m a fan of Motown singing groups such as The Ronettes, The Supremes, and The Temptations just to mention few. My oldest and the ”cheeriest” favorite is also The Beach Boys. Been listening to them since I was 3-4 years old to date. I could call it real love.

    -What has been the most challenging aspect of being a musician?
    Heidi: The trick is to combine timetables in music career and normal life. Being confident and believing on your own skills is the hardest part of it.
    Niki: The feeling of just standing in one place and not going anywhere, its been a struggle for many years to keep the band still standing. It’s requires lots of hard work and patience.
    Niina: The fact that you put so much time and effort to your music career and still not able to survive financially without having a Day job.

    –What makes a perfect song for you? What are the elements for your ears?
    Heidi: good song is a good song, genre doesn’t matter. The lyrics of the song and a story behind it has a big impact on me. A great song strikes deeply and gives you shivers. The singer’s interpretation is very important.
    Niki: For me it’s when a song gets under your skin and touches your heart either you get goosebumps or you wanna shed a tear.
    Good example is Queen’s ”Who wants to live forever”.
    Niina: It’s a perfect combination with great melody and good interpretation. A really great song stays in your heart forever and gives you strength to carry on through hard times.

    –Favorite local club to perform in?
    Niki: In Helsinki it must be On The Rocks, its a small intimate place with limited capacity of audience, but the spirit there is great when you perform.
    Niina: For me definitely Tavastia. The most legendary rock club in Helsinki. I’ve seen so many Idols of mine on that stage. Still hope to play my 4th show there with full crowd. That would be great. That’s something to aim for.

    –Name one band that you would love to tour with?
    Niki: The list is huge; Rolling Stones, Queens of the stone age, AC/DC, L7, The Hellacopters just to name
    few ..can you hook us up? ;D
    Niina: Rival Sons would be awesome!

    –Strangest thing that ever happened at a gig?
    Niki: Getting a men’s underwear thrown in my face while preforming ;D
    Niina: Getting top of my the head burned by a  strong spotlight on top of me. It was a pure torture.

    –Is social media a positive or negative impact on your music?
    Niki: Definitely positive

    -Any subject matter you will not write about?
    Niki: Something that would offend someone. For example, we wouldn’t make hate songs of known people etc…
    If I’m angry in my lyrics, it’s always something to do with my personal experiences.
    I also try to avoid political subjects.
    Niina: I like to think that we stand for equality and charity in every way. Hate is hate, but in our case hate comes in a form of love. We’ve all had our rocks on the road, but we wouldn’t throw them too hard on passers-by.

    –Anything you would like to say to your fans?
    Niki: Thank you for your support and welcome new listeners! We really hope we get to see you at our shows in the future.     ❤


    https://barbeqbarbies.com/
     

  • Cry Of The Wolf Interview with DORO PESCH


      
    There are legends and icons in heavy metal and then there is DORO PESCH, who embodies both. Her passion and true love for the art form of heavy metal music as well as her equally unbridled love for her fans is the first thing you realize about DORO. We have had a chance to chat as she geared up for her 2019 tour.

     How do you get yourself in shape for the tour?
    I’m doing martial arts. working out. jogging. building up the stamina. then we prepare a nice intro. rehearse some new songs. I want to do a live record. Constantly thinking of new things to do during the show. Special effects. Some clubs don’t allow pyro technics so we have to come up with other things.

    And this tour features a double headliner, Doro and Metal Church.
    I’ve loved metal church since the early days. They are really nice. Its a good vibe. That is most important. each band supports the other band. We share our crews. Its a good start. The crowd will appreciate it. Old school metal.



    Do you find it hard to pick songs for a set list
    yes. so many songs. so many records it is hard. somehow every song means something to me. Sometimes we sneak in songs that were never released in the states. all the highlights and some unexpected ones.

    When you covered metallica do you hear from them.
    Not yet. but when we covered breaking the law by Judas priest. Rob Halford said he loved it. We saw them live and the tour manager said you can come up and sing it. I thought Oh my God I’m hopping on stage with rob I was thinking I wouldn’t remember the lyrics. He said you’ll be fine come on.

    When you get together to rehearse do you improvise new songs?
    Usually We make a list and then we get prepared. We’ve played together for years now. Sometimes we enjoy a little medley. We are a good team. Great Musicians. Everyone has ideas. Sometimes things work out awesomely. Sometimes we set up lists for the States and then different for Europe. A few of my favorite records were never released in the states during the grunge era.
    All killers no fillers!

    Are you ever surprised by how passionate the fans are?
    Sometimes the fans show me their tattoos.They go full out. Its so awesome. I want to tell them I am just as dedicated. But I am blown away sometimes. I love tattoos. When I was younger I used to tattoo all my friends. So I appreciate what they mean to people. My whole life is dedicated to the fans and the music. My true love. They get more insane every day. Inspires me to give my all.

    What is the strangest thing at a gig you have seen?
     One time a lady said she would name her next baby after me. She said if this was ok. I said yes. But had a boy. But he does have Doro Rock In the middle of his name. We see them at shows now.

    Check out DORO and METAL CHURCH on tour now!!

    https://www.doromusic.de/




  • Cry Of The Wolf Interview with DORO PESCH


      
    There are legends and icons in heavy metal and then there is DORO PESCH, who embodies both. Her passion and true love for the art form of heavy metal music as well as her equally unbridled love for her fans is the first thing you realize about DORO. We have had a chance to chat as she geared up for her 2019 tour.

     How do you get yourself in shape for the tour?
    I’m doing martial arts. working out. jogging. building up the stamina. then we prepare a nice intro. rehearse some new songs. I want to do a live record. Constantly thinking of new things to do during the show. Special effects. Some clubs don’t allow pyro technics so we have to come up with other things.

    And this tour features a double headliner, Doro and Metal Church.
    I’ve loved metal church since the early days. They are really nice. Its a good vibe. That is most important. each band supports the other band. We share our crews. Its a good start. The crowd will appreciate it. Old school metal.



    Do you find it hard to pick songs for a set list
    yes. so many songs. so many records it is hard. somehow every song means something to me. Sometimes we sneak in songs that were never released in the states. all the highlights and some unexpected ones.

    When you covered metallica do you hear from them.
    Not yet. but when we covered breaking the law by Judas priest. Rob Halford said he loved it. We saw them live and the tour manager said you can come up and sing it. I thought Oh my God I’m hopping on stage with rob I was thinking I wouldn’t remember the lyrics. He said you’ll be fine come on.

    When you get together to rehearse do you improvise new songs?
    Usually We make a list and then we get prepared. We’ve played together for years now. Sometimes we enjoy a little medley. We are a good team. Great Musicians. Everyone has ideas. Sometimes things work out awesomely. Sometimes we set up lists for the States and then different for Europe. A few of my favorite records were never released in the states during the grunge era.
    All killers no fillers!

    Are you ever surprised by how passionate the fans are?
    Sometimes the fans show me their tattoos.They go full out. Its so awesome. I want to tell them I am just as dedicated. But I am blown away sometimes. I love tattoos. When I was younger I used to tattoo all my friends. So I appreciate what they mean to people. My whole life is dedicated to the fans and the music. My true love. They get more insane every day. Inspires me to give my all.

    What is the strangest thing at a gig you have seen?
     One time a lady said she would name her next baby after me. She said if this was ok. I said yes. But had a boy. But he does have Doro Rock In the middle of his name. We see them at shows now.

    Check out DORO and METAL CHURCH on tour now!!

    https://www.doromusic.de/




  • Cry Of The Wolf Magazine interview with BOBBY BLITZ of OVERKILL



    The Wings Of War is New Jersey’s Thrash kings OVERKILL’S 19th Studio album. I had a chance to talk with Lead vocalist Bobby Blitz about the new album, being from New Jersey and life on the metal road.


    The new album kicks ass as expected. How did you feel going into the recording of this album your 19th?
         The chemistry had changed. Jason Bittner had come into the fold. He is a schooled musician. Probably the most Musically trained we have had in the band. So he brought something different to the party. So we knew the chemistry would change. The question is, would we embrace this new change and I think you can see by the release that we did.

    With a Song like “Welcome to the Garden State”, Who came up with the idea to include the Springsteen ending? 
        That was D.D.’s Idea. He was cutting pieces together and then we played a scratch track to it and said if we go then lets go all the way. we always wanted to cover the song. The rumor is that Springsteen loves when people cover his stuff, especially Jersey guys.

    Over 30 years, 19 studio albums, countless tours..Any regrets?
       I don’t think so. The fact that we are having this conversation is a testimony to a life pretty well lived. It’s not a career anymore. I think…I’m in. I do like the fact that I have been able to live my life the way I would like to. We like doing this. We do it with frequency, passion, and high principal.

    Are there times when you cant stand the road?
    It’s a middle age boys club. We are all degenerate gamblers. Sometimes we drink to much. We put the work in prior to the tour so the tour itself is not work. Going out an doing shows is living like a juvenile delinquent again. Its fun for us.

    What keeps inspiring you for lyrics? For instance the song “Batshit Crazy”.
    Its about paying attention. I don’t talk politics or social events. I think its up to the individual to decide. I’m no smarter than from the first record. Don’t take advice from me. But if you keep your eyes open you get filled with things. And I get the opportunity every couple of years to put them in lyrics. Even though they tend to be abstract they cleanse me. They clean my head out. On a song like “Batshit Crazy”, its a topic about where is the common sense. We are living in a world without common sense.

    social media?
    we have someone do it. we are self managed so it comes across my desk. I don’t have any of that. I come from a hand shake era. But I realized this was needed early on. to stay relevant we had to be involved. its both negative and positive. Its both. I’m an old school guy. Our social media was taking our flyers and stapling them to anything you could. But I realize that this is how it is now. I think the down side is probably is more so for the newer bands. So many bands get over looked. We use it to our advantage. the idea is to adapt to the hammer of the day and the hammer currently is social media. Whats current is what is important.I’m proud of our career. I’m proud because we are relevant and the reason we are is that we have no problem reinventing ourselves. So it still gives us the opportunity to do the things we love because we have embraced it.

     Strangest thing you have ever seen at a show?
    I have seen it all. People fornicating. A guy handed me a leg onstage. somewhere in the Midwest so I’m standing there holding this dudes prosthetic leg. He’s handing me a pen yelling “sign it”. I’m like I’m not giving this back.

    Any hobbies outside of music?
        I’ve been raising dogs my whole life. I live in a really rural area. So its outdoor living. I’m a Harley guy. I like old cars. I’m busy outside of overkill. When your on the road I love playing. I love playing live but I like fast cars. I like tinkering around with them. When I’m on the road I miss being home but when I get home I miss the road.


    www.wreckingcrew.com/

  • Cry Of The Wolf Magazine interview with BOBBY BLITZ of OVERKILL



    The Wings Of War is New Jersey’s Thrash kings OVERKILL’S 19th Studio album. I had a chance to talk with Lead vocalist Bobby Blitz about the new album, being from New Jersey and life on the metal road.


    The new album kicks ass as expected. How did you feel going into the recording of this album your 19th?
         The chemistry had changed. Jason Bittner had come into the fold. He is a schooled musician. Probably the most Musically trained we have had in the band. So he brought something different to the party. So we knew the chemistry would change. The question is, would we embrace this new change and I think you can see by the release that we did.

    With a Song like “Welcome to the Garden State”, Who came up with the idea to include the Springsteen ending? 
        That was D.D.’s Idea. He was cutting pieces together and then we played a scratch track to it and said if we go then lets go all the way. we always wanted to cover the song. The rumor is that Springsteen loves when people cover his stuff, especially Jersey guys.

    Over 30 years, 19 studio albums, countless tours..Any regrets?
       I don’t think so. The fact that we are having this conversation is a testimony to a life pretty well lived. It’s not a career anymore. I think…I’m in. I do like the fact that I have been able to live my life the way I would like to. We like doing this. We do it with frequency, passion, and high principal.

    Are there times when you cant stand the road?
    It’s a middle age boys club. We are all degenerate gamblers. Sometimes we drink to much. We put the work in prior to the tour so the tour itself is not work. Going out an doing shows is living like a juvenile delinquent again. Its fun for us.

    What keeps inspiring you for lyrics? For instance the song “Batshit Crazy”.
    Its about paying attention. I don’t talk politics or social events. I think its up to the individual to decide. I’m no smarter than from the first record. Don’t take advice from me. But if you keep your eyes open you get filled with things. And I get the opportunity every couple of years to put them in lyrics. Even though they tend to be abstract they cleanse me. They clean my head out. On a song like “Batshit Crazy”, its a topic about where is the common sense. We are living in a world without common sense.

    social media?
    we have someone do it. we are self managed so it comes across my desk. I don’t have any of that. I come from a hand shake era. But I realized this was needed early on. to stay relevant we had to be involved. its both negative and positive. Its both. I’m an old school guy. Our social media was taking our flyers and stapling them to anything you could. But I realize that this is how it is now. I think the down side is probably is more so for the newer bands. So many bands get over looked. We use it to our advantage. the idea is to adapt to the hammer of the day and the hammer currently is social media. Whats current is what is important.I’m proud of our career. I’m proud because we are relevant and the reason we are is that we have no problem reinventing ourselves. So it still gives us the opportunity to do the things we love because we have embraced it.

     Strangest thing you have ever seen at a show?
    I have seen it all. People fornicating. A guy handed me a leg onstage. somewhere in the Midwest so I’m standing there holding this dudes prosthetic leg. He’s handing me a pen yelling “sign it”. I’m like I’m not giving this back.

    Any hobbies outside of music?
        I’ve been raising dogs my whole life. I live in a really rural area. So its outdoor living. I’m a Harley guy. I like old cars. I’m busy outside of overkill. When your on the road I love playing. I love playing live but I like fast cars. I like tinkering around with them. When I’m on the road I miss being home but when I get home I miss the road.


    www.wreckingcrew.com/

  • Interview with STEVE S.R. of RAIN OR SHINE



    Rain Or shine is hard rock at its melodic finest. Steve S.R. and Andy R. McCormack are incredibly talented musicians whose combined talent explodes on this release. Fans of good, hard rock with attention to melody should pick this release up. Below is the interview with Steve S.R. himself.
    First and fore most who came up with the name:
    I had come up with a list of names that sounded cool by the time we had finished recording our debut album, but ‘Rain Or Shine’ seemed to fit this particular project the most, so eventually we chose that.
    How would you describe your music? 
    Although, I am not particularly fond of putting labels on music, I consider Rain Or Shine a melodic hard rock project. Our first album “Seize The Night” had a more old-school feel in both composition and sound, but the new album is modern and kinda versatile.
    Take us through the writing process. Does everyone contribute? 
    I started this project in order to write and share my songs with the people that have the same passion about melodic rock music as me. However, to this day, lots of great musicians and sound engineers worked with me to make that happen. Concerning the composition part, I am usually on my own. Every idea starts from a nice riff, a catchy melody or an interesting concept working its way to a whole song. Next comes the arrangement. In that part, I try every idea that comes on the table from every person that is somehow involved in the song. The last part is the recording. In the new album, I worked with even more people than the first one in the recording process and I would like to thank all of them for doing an amazing job, especially Aurora for the duet in “New Love” and Tasos for the duet in “We All Back Down”. In our future work, I am planning on working with much more musicians and engineers, since that worked absolutely fine in this one. If you guys read this, you all rock!
    Something in your personal music collections that fans might not expect?  
    Hmm I don’t know. Britney Spears and Backstreet Boys? Hahahaha! I am a 90s kid and I always liked pop music, especially in the past, when less crap was released. Even today there are some awesome pop acts that I love, like Lady Gaga, Bruno Mars or Ed Sheeran. Surprised, yet? Regarding pop music, as long as it’s melodic, fun, catchy, requires some kind of talent and is not as shallow as singing about your “private parts”, it is fine by me.
    What has been the most challenging aspect of being a musician 
    Infinite patience. Personally speaking, having to compose, arrange, record and mix a song requires listening to it thousands of times, to the point that you get sick of the repetition. That definitely requires patience on my part. But, in the end, if I still like what I hear, it means I’ve actually written a great song.


     What makes a perfect song for you? What are the elements for your ears? 
    The perfect song is the one that makes your heart beat faster or gives you the chills. I am not sure, if there are specific elements for writing a perfect song. If that was the case, we would have known by now, the recipe would have leaked and everybody would be able to write the perfect song. I think it all comes down to the correct combination of elements, instead of the combination of the correct elements, if that makes any sense.
    Favorite local club to perform in? 
    Performing live is not the priority of this project. The core of Rain Or Shine is me and Andy, since we play in all of the songs. People that collaborated with us also belong to the Rain Or Shine family. But, Rain Or Shine is not a live band. We haven’t crossed out the scenario of a live performance in the future with guest performers, though. Personally, I have performed in Eightball Club and Live Stage in Thessaloniki, which was an awesome experience. I would also love to perform in Gagarin205 in Athens.
    Name one band that you would love to tour with? 
    H.E.A.T. Amazing musicians, young and energetic, flawless live performances. I would be honored.
    Strangest thing that ever happened at a gig 
    In the past, when I was in a glam band, a member of the band tried to style his hair using an air freshener instead of a hairspray, just before getting on stage. It was an honest mistake, considering, he wasn’t aware of the brand. Still, the result was weird, sad and funny altogether.
    Is social media a positive or negative impact on your music? 
    Definitely positive. It is a great way to communicate with the fans, to announce stuff and attract more people. Since we do not perform live, most people got to know about Rain Or Shine through social networking. Also, it is the only way to promote our new work on our own.
    Any subject matter you will not write about? 
    Anything that won’t inspire me to write music about. Also, there are lots of things I do like, but are not much of an inspiration for new music, but this could change, I guess.
    Anything you would like to say to your fans? 
    First of all, I would like to thank you all for the support. It’s really amazing to see people care about what you create. Keep spreading the word about Rain Or Shine and if you haven’t already, go and get the CD of our new album ‘The Darkest Part Of Me’. It keeps us going and gives us the ability make more stuff for you. Keep rockin’!


    WebLinks:
    ORDER ALBUM


    Or digital:


    Social Media:


    E-mail:
    steve_s_r@outlook.com

  • Interview with STEVE S.R. of RAIN OR SHINE



    Rain Or shine is hard rock at its melodic finest. Steve S.R. and Andy R. McCormack are incredibly talented musicians whose combined talent explodes on this release. Fans of good, hard rock with attention to melody should pick this release up. Below is the interview with Steve S.R. himself.
    First and fore most who came up with the name:
    I had come up with a list of names that sounded cool by the time we had finished recording our debut album, but ‘Rain Or Shine’ seemed to fit this particular project the most, so eventually we chose that.
    How would you describe your music? 
    Although, I am not particularly fond of putting labels on music, I consider Rain Or Shine a melodic hard rock project. Our first album “Seize The Night” had a more old-school feel in both composition and sound, but the new album is modern and kinda versatile.
    Take us through the writing process. Does everyone contribute? 
    I started this project in order to write and share my songs with the people that have the same passion about melodic rock music as me. However, to this day, lots of great musicians and sound engineers worked with me to make that happen. Concerning the composition part, I am usually on my own. Every idea starts from a nice riff, a catchy melody or an interesting concept working its way to a whole song. Next comes the arrangement. In that part, I try every idea that comes on the table from every person that is somehow involved in the song. The last part is the recording. In the new album, I worked with even more people than the first one in the recording process and I would like to thank all of them for doing an amazing job, especially Aurora for the duet in “New Love” and Tasos for the duet in “We All Back Down”. In our future work, I am planning on working with much more musicians and engineers, since that worked absolutely fine in this one. If you guys read this, you all rock!
    Something in your personal music collections that fans might not expect?  
    Hmm I don’t know. Britney Spears and Backstreet Boys? Hahahaha! I am a 90s kid and I always liked pop music, especially in the past, when less crap was released. Even today there are some awesome pop acts that I love, like Lady Gaga, Bruno Mars or Ed Sheeran. Surprised, yet? Regarding pop music, as long as it’s melodic, fun, catchy, requires some kind of talent and is not as shallow as singing about your “private parts”, it is fine by me.
    What has been the most challenging aspect of being a musician 
    Infinite patience. Personally speaking, having to compose, arrange, record and mix a song requires listening to it thousands of times, to the point that you get sick of the repetition. That definitely requires patience on my part. But, in the end, if I still like what I hear, it means I’ve actually written a great song.


     What makes a perfect song for you? What are the elements for your ears? 
    The perfect song is the one that makes your heart beat faster or gives you the chills. I am not sure, if there are specific elements for writing a perfect song. If that was the case, we would have known by now, the recipe would have leaked and everybody would be able to write the perfect song. I think it all comes down to the correct combination of elements, instead of the combination of the correct elements, if that makes any sense.
    Favorite local club to perform in? 
    Performing live is not the priority of this project. The core of Rain Or Shine is me and Andy, since we play in all of the songs. People that collaborated with us also belong to the Rain Or Shine family. But, Rain Or Shine is not a live band. We haven’t crossed out the scenario of a live performance in the future with guest performers, though. Personally, I have performed in Eightball Club and Live Stage in Thessaloniki, which was an awesome experience. I would also love to perform in Gagarin205 in Athens.
    Name one band that you would love to tour with? 
    H.E.A.T. Amazing musicians, young and energetic, flawless live performances. I would be honored.
    Strangest thing that ever happened at a gig 
    In the past, when I was in a glam band, a member of the band tried to style his hair using an air freshener instead of a hairspray, just before getting on stage. It was an honest mistake, considering, he wasn’t aware of the brand. Still, the result was weird, sad and funny altogether.
    Is social media a positive or negative impact on your music? 
    Definitely positive. It is a great way to communicate with the fans, to announce stuff and attract more people. Since we do not perform live, most people got to know about Rain Or Shine through social networking. Also, it is the only way to promote our new work on our own.
    Any subject matter you will not write about? 
    Anything that won’t inspire me to write music about. Also, there are lots of things I do like, but are not much of an inspiration for new music, but this could change, I guess.
    Anything you would like to say to your fans? 
    First of all, I would like to thank you all for the support. It’s really amazing to see people care about what you create. Keep spreading the word about Rain Or Shine and if you haven’t already, go and get the CD of our new album ‘The Darkest Part Of Me’. It keeps us going and gives us the ability make more stuff for you. Keep rockin’!


    WebLinks:
    ORDER ALBUM


    Or digital:


    Social Media:


    E-mail:
    steve_s_r@outlook.com