We live in crazy fucking times but if we can do our part to make it better we’re gonna give it a shot. Lots of you have asked us to publish some extra episodes while the world hunkers down and social distances. This is our first response to that. Here’s an previously unaired interview from the FoM vaults with vocalist Eric Martin. Enjoy and stay safe.
There have been seemingly countless “Greatest Rock Guitarists” lists assembled over the years - for articles or books. But...what about bassists? In ‘The 100 Greatest Rock Bassists,’ author/journalist Greg Prato courageously attempts to level the playing field, single-handedly. In addition to counting them down from the bottom to the top, each entry contains info on each player - including background data, standout tracks, similar players, preferred makes/models, etc.
And that’s not all! Also featured are ten all-new interviews for this book, with some of the greatest rock bassists of all-time (Billy Sheehan, Les Claypool, John Myung, Mike Watt, Doug Wimbish, Doug Pinnick, David Ellefson, Glenn Hughes, Glen Matlock, and Cris Kirkwood), as well as vintage/rarely-seen photos of many of the top names. So...put down your bass for a bit, pick up this book, and discover just who are ‘The 100 Greatest Rock Bassists.’ Greg Prato is a Long Island, New York-based journalist, who has written for Rolling Stone, Classic Rock, and Vintage Guitar, and has authored such books as ‘Shredders!: The Oral History Of Speed Guitar (And More),’ ‘The Yacht Rock Book: The Oral History of the Soft, Smooth Sounds of the 70s and 80s,’ and ‘Grunge Is Dead: The Oral History of Seattle Rock Music .’ ‘The 100 Greatest Rock Bassists’ is his 24th book overall. ‘The 100 Greatest Rock Bassists’ is available as a paperback version [258 pages, $14.99], a Kindle download [$9.99], and a Nook download [$9.99]. Read excerpts here: http://www.songfacts.com/blog/writing/the_100_greatest_rock_bassists_-_an_excerpt/
We’re ending 2017 with a double header. First up we bring you Jeff Scott Soto discussing “Psychotic Symphony” the debut release from Sons of Apollo a killer new band featuring former Focus on Metal guests Billy Sheehan, Mike Portnoy, and Ron “Bumblefoot” Thal as well as Dream Theater alum Derek Sherinian and of course Jeff on vocals. Don't just put these guys on the prog shelf based on the members. These guys turned out an album that seamlessly blends elements of prog, metal, classic rock and hard rock into one killer debut album. Did I mention this a band not a project? Look for these guys to be out on tour in 2018.
Also up this week we have a talk with guitarist Stuart Smith about his band Heaven & Earth’s fourth release “Hard to Kill”. These guys have cooked up a nice brew of classic inspired hard rock loaded with tasty hooks.
Bassist extraordinaire Billy Sheehan graces us with his presence this week as he calls in to talk about the latest from Mr Big “Defying Gravity” and Winery Dogs “Live in Santiago”.
Also this week we have Oli Brown from UK band RavenEye calling in while on tour here in the states for their first full length Frontiers release “Nova”.
Track of the week is form our friends in Broken Teeth off their latest EMP release “4 On The Floor”
Mr. Big just set loose their latest upon the world with “Defying Gravity”. This week Richie sits down with Pat Torpey to discuss the new album, touring, Mr. Big History, and what the future holds for Pat.
Track of the week comes to us from perennial FoM favorites Primal Fear off their new live set Angels of Mercy - Live in Germany.
After several missed connections we FINALLY were able to get an interview with the always busy Mike Portnoy.The guys currently in six bands so we gotta cut him some slack.
The best place to keep up with all things Portnoy is at mikeportnoy.com/
MADAME MAYHEM RELEASES MUSIC VIDEO FOR 'LEFT FOR DEAD,' ANNOUNCES DATES WITH DORO
Past Focus on Metal guest Madame Mayhem is one of the most striking rock performers to come along in some time - as seen in the new official video for the song "Left For Dead."
Created by Industrialism Films, the clip can be viewed via this link:
"Left For Dead" comes from the album, 'Now You Know,' and was written by Corey Lowery and Madame Mayhem. According to the singer, "'Left For Dead' expresses the struggle of both a tumultuous relationship, and internal conflict with yourself to not be held down and to move forward."
Also upcoming is a string of dates in February and March opening up for the one and only Doro, including stops in Tampa, Atlanta, Charlotte, and Poughkeepsie, among other locations. "Really excited to be heading out on the road with Doro," says Madame Mayhem. "Can't wait to give the audiences shows to remember."
'Now You Know' features a powerhouse team of rock talent including Billy Sheehan (Mr. Big, Winery Dogs), who produced and played on the album, Ray Luzier (KoRn, KXM), Ron “Bumblefoot” Thal (Guns N’ Roses), Russ Parrish (“Satchel” from Steel Panther), and Corey Lowery (Saint Asonia, Stuck Mojo).
Billy Sheehan on Madame Mayhem's new record :
The album has also received rave reviews from the likes of Rock Revolt ("With the types of songs this fantastic group created and the vocal approach Madame painted over each track I have to say we have a winner") and Hard Rock Haven ("Hopefully this album is the start of something big! Madame Mayhem’s Now You Know is highly recommended for fans of hard rock and melodic metal!"), among other outlets.
So this week we have two great guests on tap. First up is Madame Mayhem, a great metal vocalist from NYC. She just released her first album "Now You Know" helped by some stellar folks including Billy Sheehan, Russ Parrish and Ray Luzier. Check out her story at http://madamemayhem.com/.
Next up is returning guest Michael Wilton. Whip checked in to talk all about the new one from Queensryche, "Condition Human". He also talks about the Scorpions tour and the upcoming headlining tour which kicked off Nov 6th. Keep up with the Ryche at http://queensrycheofficial.com/
Track of the week is from Heaven & Hell Records artist Dogbane. This one is from their second release "When Karma Comes Calling". Get that one and all your Dogbane needs at http://www.dogbaneband.com/
Here's a great track off their prior release "Residual Alcatraz"
In case ya missed it Focus on Metal is now part of a new network The Blast Syndicate. So point your browser to http://www.blastsyndicate.com/ and Get Blasted!
Love and Scars is the long awaited sophomore release from legendary King’s X drummer Jerry Gaskill and is by far his best work to date! Featuring Billy Sheehan, Phil Keaggy, Earl Slick, DA Karkos, Andee Blacksugar and a host of other notable musicians, Love and Scars marks the completion of a long musical journey that started almost a decade ago. Enduring a series of personal tragedies along the way, including two heart attacks, and losing all his possessions in Hurricane Sandy, Jerry remained steadfast and true in his belief that music heals all. “It’s been a long time coming and I’ve had some heavy obstacles to deal with, but the record is finally ready and I couldn’t be more proud of what we’ve accomplished!” says Jerry.
Love and Scars also spotlights Jerry’s vocal and songwriting talents as he passionately pours his heart out into each and every song, putting to music all of his triumphs and tragedies of the last decade. The lyrical content of this album is simply about everyday life the way I see it and I hope that people will be able to relate to it on some kind of personal level”, says Jerry. It quickly becomes evident within the first few seconds of this album that Jerry is highly influenced by his own band King’s X, as well as some of his earlier influences like TheBeatles, Led Zeppelin, Bob Dylan and Grand Funk Railroad. “Drummers don’t always get the opportunity to showcase their full songwriting capabilities, but Jerry raises the bar and delivers a very solid offering with Love and Scars”, says Rat Pak Records owner Joe O’Brien.
Jerry Gaskill Love and Scars features Billy Sheehan, Phil Keaggy, Earl Slick, DA Karkos, Andee Blacksugar, John "JD" DeServio, Bob Burger, David Parks, Matt Gray, Matt Farley, John Farley, Topher Nolen, Joey Gaskill and Virus. Official release date for Jerry Gaskill Love and Scars is Friday October 30, 2015. Pre-order now at: http://ratpakrecordsamerica.com/jerrygaskill
TRACK LISTING:
01 FAR AWAY
02 THIS PICTURE
03 NO MORE YESTERDAY
04 HYPOTHETICAL
05 WAKING UP
06 NEVER EVER KNOW
07 SANDY
08 PATTY'S SONG
09 PARADISE
10 SAD
11 GIRL IN THE WAREHOUSE
12 GOODBYE SONG
Listen to Jerry Gaskill “Far Away” on soundcloud at:
Madame Mayhem is certainly a commanding and unforgettable figure - all you have to do is check out the new video for the song "Monster" for the proof. But dig a bit deeper, and you will discover that some of rock and metal's most renowned and respected names played a part in her forthcoming full-length album, 'Now You Know,' which will be released through BFD/RED on October 16, 2015 (in the USA and Canada).
A powerhouse team of rock talent including Billy Sheehan (Mr. Big, Winery Dogs) - who produced and played on the album - Ray Luzier (KoRn, KXM), Ron “Bumblefoot” Thal (formerly of Guns N’ Roses), Russ Parrish (“Satchel” from Steel Panther), and Corey Lowery (Saint Asonia, Stuck Mojo) all appear on the fourteen-track recording.
But before the album's autumn arrival, fans can check out the striking clip for "Monster" (by Industrialism Films). "This video shows the escape from being trapped, under speculation, and breaking free to embrace your true self," explains Mayhem. "Raw and real! About how society can turn you into what they already think you are."
Though a singer first (and frontwoman/showwoman during live performances), Madame Mayhem is also a songwriter, and plays piano and guitar. And soon, the world will experience her extraordinary talents!
I was new to the venue and couldn't believe how small it was. I stood at the very back, right near the front. The stage would have challenged Mike Portnoy's drum kit from his Dream Theater days. I couldn't tell how big his kit was as it was kept under wraps until show time but I knew it wasn't the three bass drum multi-faceted beast I was used to seeing him pound years ago. Everything was stripped down. Minimal lighting, no screens or special effects, just three musicians at the top of their game.
With a very well received album from last year I was curious to see it performed live. I knew they were going to play all of it so that element of surprise was lost. I'm not the kind of guy who checks set lists before going to a concert so I was interested to see what extras they would add. Opening Elevate and following with the Japanese bonus track Criminal it was obvious that these guys really enjoy playing with one another a fact not lost on the crowd who lapped it all up. Mike Portnoy was the first to speak thanking everyone for coming out and then it was heads down again with another batch of killer tunes.
As for the solo spots well Billy Sheehan's bass solo was incredible and any wannabe bass player in the crowd probably shook their head and later trudged home and threw their instrument in the bin thinking they could never be that good. Richie Kotzen's spot was the highlight of the night for me. He may be underrated as a singer but that is changing rapidly. With just an acoustic guitar he sang one of his solo songs called Doin' What The Devil Says To Do and you could hear a pin drop in the place. The guy might not converse much with the crowd but boy does he show some emotion with that voice.
The band finished strong with I'm No Angel, Oblivion and an extended Desire before the inevitable and well deserved encore. I thought they'd played the whole album until I heard the opening chords of Regret followed by a balls out rocking version of Shy Boy sung by Portnoy and Sheehan that had everyone off their seats. Miss them on tour at your peril.
We got to interview Richie Kotzen last week and he seemed a nice enough guy. I couldn't help but feel in some way sorry for him through no fault of his own. He's always been a super-talented guitar player and a much better singer then most give him credit for. The problem with him is timing. He joined Poison in the 90's when that scene was all over bar the shouting. He replaced Paul Gilbert in Mr. Big in the latter part of that decade. The work he did with both was solid, Native Tongue is my favourite Poison album and Actual Size is a great Mr.Big record ten years too late.
Both bands reform with their original popular line-ups releasing new material and what of Mr. Kotzen? Back to releasing solid solo albums to little or no fanfare, well except Eddie Trunk but I will get back to that in a minute.
Mike Portnoy and John Sykes go on That Metal Show and announce a new power trio with Billy Sheehan. I was genuinely excited as I loved Sykes playing and he hadn't released anything new in what seemed like forever. Then it became obvious why, it took him forever to put 2 feet in a recording studio. The other 2 couldn't wait so enter Richie Kotzen via prompt from Eddie Trunk. He's not technically following Sykes because they released nothing but he is really.
I like Eddie, I really do and he's done a lot for hard rock and metal over the years but you'd swear he's in the band. He also has a vested interest in their success because to him he orchestrated all this. I have no doubt he loves the record, for the most part I believe he is honest in his opinions but to him this band is the second coming of Christ.
Scott hit the nail on the head last week when he said to me it's Mr. Big without Eric Martin singing and Portnoy hitting more drums on a bigger kit. Go listen to the Get Over It and Actual Size albums and tell me I'm wrong. I'm not saying it's crap though. Kotzen, Sheehan and Portnoy are too talented for that it's just been done before.
There are some great songs here like Elevate, Desire or my personal favourite You Saved Me and yes they play everything impeccably. If anything it showcases how good a singer Kotzen really is on a bigger stage. It's a really good album and at times great. I can't help feeling that Billy Sheehan has the Mr. Big thing in the back of his mind, playing with Sykes would have been new and fresh. As for Portnoy well check back tomorrow to see if he is still on the drum stool.
