Michael Angelo Batio Guests Once Again on This Weeks Focus on Metal

Episode 464 - More Machine Than Man

On June 12th guitarist Michael Angelo Batio will release latest his solo release “More Machine Than Man” via Rat Pak Records. This week we welcome him back to the show to discuss the new album, guitars, and several other topics.

Get the this episode from the Focus on Metal Site, The Focus on Metal RSS feed, or subscribe on iTunes.

You can hear us every Tuesday night on Pure Rock Radio
and each Wednesday afternoon on Metal World Radio

Visit http://focusonmetal.net/ for information on all the past episodes and to find the links to all our other social media sites.

And as always
Focus On Metal…Everything Else is Insignificant.

RAT PAK RECORDS SET TO RELEASE MICHAEL SWEET "TEN" on OCT 11th.

RAT PAK RECORDS SET TO RELEASE MICHAEL SWEET "TEN"

Building upon the success of his 2016 release One Sided War, Stryper front man Michael Sweet returns with his tenth solo studio release aptly titled, “Ten”. The new album is scheduled for release on October 11th via Rat Pak Recordsand will also be available in Europe via Frontiers Music SRL. Ten features an all star guest lineup that includes appearances by, Jeff Loomis of Arch Enemy, Todd La Torre of Queensryche, Andy James, Tracii Guns of LA Guns, Rich Ward of Fozzy, Joel Hoekstra of Whitesnake, Gus G of Firewind, Howie Simon, Ethan Brosh, Marzi Montazeri, Will Hunt of Evanescence , John O’Boyle, Mike Kerr and Ian Raposa of Firstbourne and more.

On the subject of guest musicians Michael comments, “There is a different player appearing on every song. It started out where I was just going to have a couple of guest appearances on it, then I decided that it would be really interesting to bring in different players for every song. I started putting names out there and reaching out to people, and they started agreeing to do it. And then I had guys reaching out to me."

Regarding the musical direction of the album Michael states, “I’m very excited about this release, there are old-school, straight-ahead metal ideas in the vein of Judas Priest, Dio and Iron Maiden, all the stuff I love listening to!” 

As for the "Ten" album title, Sweet recently stated, "It's called 'Ten' cause it's my tenth album, and because there is a title track on there about the Ten Commandments — a really powerful song. There's real heavy stuff. It starts kind of smacking you in the face and it ends kicking you in the gut."

TRACK LISTING

01 Better Part of Me (featuring Jeff Loomis of Arch Enemy)

02 Lay It Down (featuring Marzi Montazeri)

03 Forget, Forgive (featuring Howie Simon)

04 Now Or Never (featuring Gus G of Firewind)

05 Ten featuring (Rich Ward of Fozzy)

06 Shine (featuring Ethan Brosh)

07 Let It Be Love

08 Never Alone (featuring Joel Hoekstra of Whitesnake)

09 When Love Is Hated (featuring Joel Hoekstra of Whitesnake)

10 Ricochet (featuring Tracii Guns of LA Guns)

BONUS TRACKS

11 With You Till The End (featuring Mike Kerr and Ian Raposa from Firstbourne)

12 Son Of Man (featuring Todd La Torre of Queensryche and Andy James)

Head over to ratpakrecordsamerica.com/michaelsweet to get your preorder bundle

Ty Tabor Makes Another Appearance on Focus on Metal This Week

Episode 363 - Alien Beans

Another returning guest this week as we once again sit down with guitarist Ty Tabor. Ty just released a double disc solo extravaganza entitled “Alien Beans”. Disc 1 contains new tracks while disc 2 has rerecordings of older solo material. Also this week we discuss the impending demise of Slayer.

Pick up a great bundle package for Ty’s new release at: Rat Pak Records

Get the this episode from the Focus on Metal Site, The Focus on Metal RSS feed, EarPeeler.com or subscribe on iTunes.

You can hear us every Tuesday night on Pure Rock Radio
and each Wednesday afternoon on Metal World Radio

Visit http://focusonmetal.net/ for information on all the past episodes and to find the links to all our other social media sites.

And as always

Focus On Metal…Everything Else is Insignificant.

Michael Sweet Returns Once Again to Focus on Metal This Week

Episode 297 - Michael Sweet

Our annual summer break is upon us but before we take a few weeks off Michael Sweet returns to the show once again this week to talk about the imminent release of his latest solo album “One Sided War” due from Rat Pak on August 26th. He also talks about the upcoming Stryper 30th anniversary “To Hell With The Devil” tour and we even manage to fit in some gear talk too. Enjoy our talk with Michael and we’ll be back the week of Sept 12th with more metal goodness.

Michael can be found on the net at michaelsweet.com/ and the latest Stryper news and tour dates are at stryper.com/

And be sure to pick up your copy of "One Sided War" This Week.

Track of the week is from the new Metal Allegiance EP Fallen Heroes. Here's Alissa White-Gluz of Arch Enemy talking about making the track

Get the this episode from the Focus on Metal Site, The Focus on Metal RSS feed, or on iTunes.

You can hear us On Demand everyday on Platinum Rock Radio by going to this link

You can hear us every Wednesday on these great stations:
Pure Rock Radio & Metal World Radio

Visit http://focusonmetal.net/ for information on all the past episodes and to find the links to all our other social media sites.

And as always Focus On Metal…Everything Else is Insignificant.

RPR set to release Michael Sweet (Stryper) "One Sided War"

In what promises to be Stryper front-man Michael Sweet’s most intense solo release to date, “One Sided War” showcases a full plate of hard rock & classic metal riffs from start to finish. One Sided War marks Michael’s 7^th studio solo album and it clearly proves that he is still at the very top of his game! “I’ll tell you about it”, says Michael, “Musically it’s my heaviest solo album. It’s not thrash metal but there are definitely some songs on there that will pop out at you. There are some songs that have a bit of the Iron Maiden / Dio feel to them, as well as some songs that have a little bit of a Van Halen influence to them. It’s a very guitar-oriented, hard rock/metal album with lots of melodies and hooks!”

Surrounding himself in the studio with Whitesnake guitarist Joel Hoekstra, Evanescence drummer Will Hunt, bassist John O’Boyle and East Coast shred-master Ethan Brosh, Michael began creating what would soon be known as “One Sided War”. Michael states “Originally I planned on showcasing my own guitar playing; I was going to do it all myself, but once I brought Joel & Ethan into the picture, things began to take a new direction and I am very happy with what we have accomplished”. Says Ethan Brosh about working with Michael, "He's one of those guys who have always been at the top of their game and has just never lost it and for me to be a part of this is very special". Joel Hoekstra comments "Michael and I actually go back to my time in Night Ranger when we opened for him when he was playing with Boston. Ever since then we've just been kind of collaborating and this is sort of a natural evolution getting to play on a few songs on his solo album".

The fast and furious opener “Bizarre” ignites the album’s pace with it's lightning fast riffage, soaring vocals and blazing guitar solos. Tracks like “Can’t Take This Life”, “One Sided War”, "Golden Age", “I Am” and “Comfort Zone” keep the metal fires ablaze, while tracks like “Radio”, “One Way” and “You Make Me Wanna” bring the hard rock vibe to the forefront . “One Sided War” features only one ballad, “Who Am I?”, a heartfelt, passionate song that reminds us of the softer side of Michael’s talents. Closing out the disc is a bonus track; it’s a different version of the song “Can’t Take This Life”, a duet with Michael and 16 year old up-and-coming female vocalist Moriah Formica. If you are a fan of Michael Sweet / Stryper or a fan of classic Hard Rock & Metal in general “One Sided War” is an absolute must have, you won’t be disappointed! Official release date is August 26, 2016

The CD was tracked at Spirithouse Recording Studios in Northampton, Massachusetts.

TRACK LISTING:

Bizarre

One Sided War

Can't Take This Life

Radio

Golden Age

Only You

I Am

Who Am I

You Make Me Wanna

Comfort Zone

One Way Up

Can't Take This Life (*bonus track* featuring  Moriah Formica)

Armored Saint announces USA tour dates with Metal Church

Starting this June, the mighty Armored Saint will head back out on the road, playing to fans across the world this summer! The first run of dates kicks off in the USA, with the band joining Metal Church for a special west coast trek. Armored Saint's Joey Vera (bass) comments: "We're super excited to go back out for some select dates this summer. The June dates with Metal Church are a fan-made match that is sure to be an amazing time!" 

As previously reported, Armored Saint will also make several European festival and club appearances this July, before concluding their world tour in Japan at Loud Park. See below for all upcoming dates! 

Armored Saint tour dates

w/ Metal Church

June 3 - Corona, CA - M15

June 4 - Hollywood, CA - Whisky-A-Go-Go

June 5 - San Diego, CA - Brick by Brick

June 6 - Las Vegas, NV - Brooklyn Bowl

June 8 - San Francisco, CA - DNA Lounge

June 10 - Seattle, WA - Studio Seven

June 11 - Portland, OR - Hawthorne Theater 

Armored Saint tour dates

July 14 - London, UK - Underworld

July 16 - Barcelona, Spain - Rock Fest Barcelona @ Parc de Can

July 28 - Brande-Hornerkirchen, Germany - Headbangers Open Air

July 29 - Saarbrucken, Germany - Saarmageddon @ Messegelande

July 30 - Essen, Germany - Nord Open Air

Oct. 8 - Tokyo, Japan - Loud Park Festival 

Armored Saint recently revamped their merchandise store to include a slew of new and classic designs, which can be viewed here: (USA) https://www.indiemerch.com/armoredsaint or (Europe) http://goo.gl/HXCROv. For more news, current tour dates, and additional information, fans can also visit the newly updated official website: http://armoredsaint.com 

Armored Saint brings together five masters of metal (front-man John Bush, bassist Joey Vera, guitarist Phil Sandoval, drummer Gonzo Sandoval, guitarist Jeff Duncan) that combine to forge one of the genre's most criminally-unsung forces. Their latest full-length, Win Hands Down, debuted at #71 on the Billboard Top 200 Current Albums Chart during its week of release, and also earned an impressive #33 on the German Top 100 albums charts. To purchase and preview Win Hands Down, please visit: metalblade.com/armoredsaint 

Armored Saint online:

http://armoredsaint.com 

https://www.facebook.com/thearmoredsaint

https://twitter.com/thearmoredsaint

Just posted: Mike Howe guests on this weeks Focus on Metal

Episode 278 - Mike Howe Returns

Mike Howe has returned to Metal Church (metalchurchofficial.com/) after 20 years and the result is the incredible Metal Church “XI” which was released on March 26th via Rat Pak Records (ratpakrecordsamerica.com/). We were fortunate enough to be able to sit down with Mike and get his take on this momentous occasion. 

Also this week we sat down with Brian Blake of US power metal outfit Eternal Voyager (eternalvoyager.com/). Yep they are making some damn great power metal out in Minnesota.

Track of the week is from AFM artist Human Fortress (facebook.com/humanfortressofficial) off their latest “Thieves of The Night”.

Get the this episode from the Focus on Metal Site, The Focus on Metal RSS feed, or on iTunes.

You can hear us On Demand everyday on Platinum Rock Radio by going to this link

You can hear us every Wednesday on these great stations:
Pure Rock Radio & Metal World Radio

Visit http://focusonmetal.net/ for information on all the past episodes and to find the links to all our other social media sites.

Focus on Metal is damn proud to be part of The Blast Syndicate. You can get this show as well as many other kick ass metal podcasts by clicking the link below.

And as always Focus On Metal…Everything Else is Insignificant.

Jerry Gaskill on This Weeks Focus on Metal

Episode 254 - Love And Scars

The last time we spoke with King's X drummer Jerry Gaskill ( https://www.facebook.com/JerryGaskill ) he was just starting on  a solo album. Now it's done and as promised he's back to talk to us about it. On October 30th Jerry will release "Love And Scars" on Rat Pak Records. You can order that right from the label at http://www.ratpakrecordsamerica.com/jerrygaskill or use the link on FocusOnMetal.net. Also this week I welcome Roch, one of the hosts of Radioactive Metal ( http://www.radioactivemetal.org/ ). It was great to finally get him on the show to do a bit of metal discussion. 

Track of the week is from Thundermother ( http://www.thundermother.com/ ), a hard charging group of ladies from Sweden who just released their second disc "Road Fever".

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!

Get the this episode from the Focus on Metal Site, The Focus on Metal RSS feed, or on iTunes.

You can hear us Tuesdays on Platinum Rock Radio and be sure to check their schedule because we usually get a repeat run during the week.

You can hear us every Wednesday on these great stations:
Pure Rock Radio & Metal World Radio

Visit http://focusonmetal.net/ for information on all the past episodes and to find the links to all our other social media sites.

And as always Focus On Metal…Everything Else is Insignificant.

RPR set to release Jerry Gaskill (King's X) "Love and Scars" featuring Billy Sheehan, Phil Keaggy and more!

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 The Beatles, 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: https://soundcloud.com/rat-pak-records/jerrygaskillfaraway Produced and mixed by DA Karkos. Mastered by Kurdt Vanderhoof of Metal Church PRE-ORDER YOUR EXCLUSIVE BUNDLES AT: http://ratpakrecordsamerica.com/jerrygaskill

Just posted - Michael Angelo Batio and Richie Cavalera guest on this weeks Focus on Metal

Episode 232 - Shred Force 1

We welcome back Michael Angelo Batio to the show this week to discuss hie new release on Rat Pak Records, "Shred Force 1". Michael can be found on the web at http://angelo.com/. You can order great "Shred Force 1" packages right from Rat Pak Records, http://www.ratpakrecordsamerica.com/michaelangelobatio you can also get there by clicking the ad at FocusOnMetal.net

Also this week we talk with Richie Cavalera the voice behind thrash upstarts Incite. Contact Incite at https://www.facebook.com/INCITEband

Track of the week is from Wisconsin's own metal warriors Lords of The Trident off their latest CD "Frostburn". Get the disc and all your LOTT merch at http://lordsofthetrident.com/

Get the this episode from the Focus on Metal Site, The Focus on Metal RSS feed, or on iTunes.

You can hear us every Wednesday on these great stations:
Pure Rock Radio, Metal World Radio, Audio Graffiti

You can hear us Thursdays on Platinum Rock Radio

Visit http://focusonmetal.net/ for information on all the past episodes and to find the links to all our other social media sites.

And as always Focus On Metal…Everything Else is Insignificant.