For its fourth full-length album, Funeral For Yesterday, Canadian metal quartet Kittie captured an amazing studio warmth to go with their noticeably evolved, more melodic sound, courtesy of producer legend Jack Ponti (Bon Jovi, Skid Row, Alice Cooper). Although Ponti now works mainly in artist management, according to drummer Mercedes Lander, he “came out of fifteen years retirement to work with us. Jack was a big ‘80s Metal guy,” she continues. “He’s very Old School in his recording methods – which I enjoy. I’m not a big fan of ProTools, which just sucks the life out of everything. Except for the vocals, everything on Funeral For Yesterday was recorded on two-inch analog tape.” Continue reading An Interview with Mercedes Lander of Kittie→
On Saliva’s fourth major label release, Blood Stained Love Story, the Memphis-based metal quintet truly comes into its own. In a move rarely seen in any band that’s enjoyed such a degree of commercial success, Saliva risks loosening its grip on the rap-metal underpinnings that previously brought them platinum sales. Instead … Love Story’s ten dynamic songs find the band moving into an almost ‘classic hard rock’ direction, adding an exciting new edge to its music while maintaining the band’s distinct identity. Continue reading An Interview with Paul Crosby of Saliva→
LA’s Paramour Mansion, better know these days as home base for the Rock Star reality series, has a long and mysterious history dating back to the silent film era. Rumored to be haunted by the ghosts of the original owners, Papa Roach drummer Dave Buckner admits having firsthand experiences with “the other side” when his band spent three months at the mansion to record its latest album, appropriately titled, The Paramour Sessions. But Dave also confesses that his recorded performance had less to do with the supernatural than with his deeply emotional relationship to the music. Continue reading An Interview with Dave Buckner of Papa Roach→
Combining Soundgarden’s post-modern heavy metal attack with the classic, southern rock song craft of The Allman Brothers, Blackstone Cherry have arrived from south central Kentucky to give hard rock a serious kick in the ass. Since the summer 2006 release of its self titled debut, this quartet of high school friends has been on the road nearly non-stop with rock heavyweights such as Buckcherry, Staind and Black Label Society, winning diehard converts at every venue. “You can sit here and talk about it,” says 21-year old drummer John Fred Young, “but when people see us live they go, ‘Oh my god, this band’s the real thing.’” Continue reading An Interview with John Fred Young of Black Stone Cherry→
Having just dropped its brutal sophomore disc, File Under F**k – a CD whose punishing, first wave LA-Hardcore-influenced songs could excoriate the earth – Boston-based hardcore punks Defcon 4 are already finishing up their next aural assault; an as-yet-untitled, experimental hardcore epic consisting of one 25-minute song. “We’ve been recording with (producer/engineer) Steve Austin,” says drummer James Powers, a veteran of the hardcore punk scene who drummed for the now-legendary Last Rites when he was just fifteen. Continue reading An Interview with James Powers of Defcon 4→
