Steve Grimmett And Dug Pinnick Guest on This Weeks Focus on Metal

Episode 434 - At The Gates

A couple of great guests this week. First up we have Steve Grimmett of Steve Grimmett’s Grim Reaper. On October 11th these guys will be putting out their latest “At The Gates” and Steve will give us all the info on it. 

Also this week We welcome back Dug Pinnick. Primarily Dug is on the show to talk about the new KXM release “Circle of Dolls” but he does give us a little insight into the new King’s X release as well.

Track of the week comes to us courtesy of AFM Records artists Riot V from their latest release “Live in Japan 2018”

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.

Hey did we mention that we got named to Feedspot.com's 

Top 20 Metal Music Audio Podcasts & Radio You Must Subscribe and Listen to in 2019

Check out the entire esteemed list of shows on that list as well as all the rest that Feedspot has to offer at: blog.feedspot.com/metal_music_podcasts/

And as always

Focus On Metal…Everything Else is Insignificant.

Jimmy D'Anda From Lynch Mob Guests on This Weeks Focus on Metal

Episode 349 - Lynch Mob

Double shot of metal this week as we bring you chats with Jimmy D’Anda and Andreas Johansson. Lynch Mob just released “The Brotherhood” via RatPak Records. This one is a must have for any Lynch Mob fan and Jimmy will give us all the info on that as well as what’s up with his other gig Lies, Deceit & Treachery.

Also this week we will talk with Andreas from Sweden’s Air Raid. Those guys just released “Across The Line” which is 9 tracks of classic 80’s metal. How do a bunch of guys from Gothenberg crank out classic American metal fused with early Yngwie? Listen and find out. 

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.

Projected's John Connolly Talks Up "Ignite My Insanity" on This Weeks Focus on Metal

Episode 346 - Projected

Sevendust & Projected guitarist John Connolly joins us this week to talk all about the new release from Projected “Ignite My Insanity” which was released via RatPak Records. Projected, which also consists of Vinnie Hornsby (Sevendust), Scott Phillips (Alterbridge), and Eric Friedman (Tremonti) went all out and released a double album of great new music and John’s here to give us the inside track.

Get a great deal on a Projected bundle at: RatPakRecordsAmerica.com

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.

Kurdt Vanderhoof & Jarvis Letherby on this Weeks Focus on Metal

Episode 332 - Metal Demon

A double header this week as we bring you a chat with Kurdt Vanderhoof as Metal Church releases “Classic Live” via RatPak Records.

If that wasn't enough metal for ya we also we talk once again with Jarvis Letherby as Night Demon sets loose their latest “Darkness Remains”.

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.

Bob Nalbandian, the Director of Inside Metal is our Guest on This Weeks Focus on Metal

Episode 202 - Inside Metal

We've had all sorts of folks on the show but never a director. This week we remedy that with our guest Bob Nalbandian the director of Inside Metal: The Pioneers of Los Angeles Hard Rock And Metal. That's right Bob is now an actual director and his first film is a smash. Also this week we have another returning guest Michael Wilton to talk about the new Soulbender II release.

Support the Inside Metal project at: http://metalrockfilms.com

Find out more about Soulbender and get your own copy of Soulbender II at : http://www.ratpakrecordsamerica.com/michael-wilton

Keep up with Michael Wilton at: http://michaelwilton.com/

Grab it now from the Focus on Metal Site, The Focus on Metal RSS feed, or on iTunes

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

Review - Ronny Munroe "Electric Wake" (Ratpak)

"Time is like a storm. It hits you when you least expect it. Time's like a thorn. It sticks you in the heart". These are the lines that kick off Ronny Munroe's latest solo offering "Electric Wake". For all those bitter words about time, Ronny's voice is clearly unfazed by it. HIs vocals and his lyrics are are sharp as ever. 

This is Ronny's third solo release with Ratpak and is scheduled to be released on June 24th. The preorder link is provided at the bottom of this post,

When I last spoke to Ronny after the release of his last solo disc it was clear that he was excited about his next batch of music and listening to this I can see why. If you are a fan of classic American metal this may be the best release this year for your metal dollar. Let me just add that Ronny's label Ratpak are pros at making your metal dollar go even further so I encourage you to take a look at some of their package deals for this release. You could even get a personal thank you call from Ronny. That's fucking metal!!!

Ok back to the music. Ronny is always known to have a guest or three on his albums and this one is no exception. George Lynch anyone? Yes I know George pops up everywhere and yet we never get tired of hearing him so I guess there's a damn good reason to have him on your album aside from the fact that he can play his ass off. This time George pops up in "Ghosts". Its a great driving track with all the hallmarks of Lynch and a snarling vocal from Ronny. Does it get any better? 

Check out the vid at http://youtu.be/RpZev8UrM1Y to get a taste.

Another track with guests is "The Others". With lyrics like allegiance to metal and music to die for Ronny is channelling Dio on this one and the effect is pure metal. So this one is already top notch but Ronny adds on Pamela Moore for some vocal trade offs and he's not done yet he also has a screaming solo from Tesla's Dave Rude. Nicely done Ronny. This one is also available for preview at: http://youtu.be/XKdr1YCicEo

So besides the guests I probably should mention the core players on the disc. Paul Kleff and Sean Baker on guitars. Sean's an insane player well worth checking out. On bass is David Donigan from the Sean Baker Orchestra and Tony Rossi on the drum throne. Ronny has assembled a great bunch of players that clearly know how classic American metal should sound. Of course producers have a part in that as well and this time Bruce Bouillet is manning the board. I'm actually surprised that Bruce was able to resist laying down some guitar on this too.

So hows the rest of the disc? Freaking awesome, thank you. I was thinking that the title track was going to be a doomy Sabbath knock off but I was pleasantly surprised that it wasn't. When it started with the amp hum and feedback I was thinking my gut was right but it quickly gets down to business. It has a cool Warning era Ryche feel to it.

Another great one on here is "Turn to Stone". It has some nice time changes that always keep you engaged in the song. That seems to be a key element in a lot of Ronny's stuff. He likes to mix up tempos and layer slow vocals over fast riffs and vice versa. It's cool stuff and not a lot of people out there do it. I could methodically go through every song but I don't need to. The whole thing is great. If you are on the fence head to the YouTube links and listen to the three song previews that are up there.

There's also a preview trailer at http://youtu.be/xHMKQIK-vP8

So after spending a few days with this one do I like it? Absolutely. Will I buy it? I already preordered it the day it was announced. Should you buy it? Hell yeah!!

I give this one and 8.5 out of 10. This needed a bit more bass presence and I wish Ronny used his upper range a bit more. However the songs, the riffs and the lyrics are all great.

Top track: "The Others"

Preorder link: www.RatPakRecords.com/RonnyMunroe   

Review - KXM - KXM (Rat Pack Records)

 
   I've had this a couple of weeks now and wanted to give it a proper listen before I said anything about it. For those living under a rock KXM is Ray Luzier from Korn (hence the K), Doug Pinnick of Kings X (the X) and George Lynch from Lynch Mob (the M). I'm not really familiar with Ray at all as I don't like Korn, Doug Pinnick I'm a huge fan of and the same goes with George Lynch. The wildcard in this was always going to be George. He is famous for having a signature sound on the Dokken and the first two Lynch Mob albums, when he goes off the beaten track like Smoke This and Souls Of We then he loses me. He redeemed himself in my eyes with the last couple of Lynch Mob releases so I had high hopes for this.

   It delivers for the most part. The sound is huge and you can hear everything with crystal clarity and along with the new Adrenaline Mob disc is the best sounding I've heard this year. Ray Luzier is a revelation, it's hard to describe his drumming style on this as the songs give him room to show off his chops. Think Igor Cavalera from Sepultura playing along to a hard rock record and you will get an idea. Doug Pinnick still sounds great although I'm not a fan of muffling his vocals on opener Stars and Faith Is A Room. Some of it is bound to sound like Kings X with him singing on it, Love sounding similar to Flies And Blue Skies from Dogman. He really is a great bass player too. Lynch plays mostly with restraint on this allowing the songs to breathe and his playing on Never Stop and Sleep is just right for the song. When he does go off like on I'll Be Ok it sounds like the George of old. Bits and pieces sound like his time with Dokken such as the beginning of Love and Burn but the songs never allow him to stay there because of the different styles of the rhythm section.

   So my final verdict is a really solid release at times great with not a duff track on it. It will be interesting to see where this goes from here, will they tour this or be another one of these one and done super groups that promised so much yet never fulfilled their promise. Live this would sound fantastic yet part of me wants another King X and Lynch Mob release. If they could fit it all in then I would be a very happy man indeed.

Richie.

 http://www.ratpakrecordsamerica.com/kxm

Focus on Metal with Rex Brown and Ronny Munroe is Now Available

Week 2 of Metal Month 2013 is upon us and we briefly hop off the Strange Highway to bring you two metal legends with two great releases that you need to know about now. In round one we have the one and only Ronny Munroe talking to us about the new Metal Church release Generation Nothing and in round two we have legendary bassist Rex Brown chatting up the new Kill Devil Hill release Revolution Rise.

As usual get it on iTunes, The Cast Iron Ring and of course at the Focus on Metal site

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

Review - Metal Church- Generation Nothing (Rat Pak Records)

   I think Scott is under the impression that I don't like Metal Church. That's the bands fault because they have had too many bloody line up changes. To clarify: I don't like David Wayne's voice, think The Dark is over-rated, love The Human Factor with Mike Howe but think Blessing In Disguise is ruined by a terrible production job by none other then Terry Date. One of their guitarists is probably better known for filling in for James Hetfield and the main songwriter didn't even tour on some of their albums. Bad luck well yes, self-inflicted career damage most definitely.

   I love A Light In The Dark, just a solid slice of metal. Ronny Munroe's vocals are a bit of an acquired taste though, sometimes he can just sound a little well......off. If that makes any sense. The follow up This Present Wasteland didn't really do it for me and then they were gone. Bad management, bad label the usual same 'ol same 'ol.

   So now they are back after a little hiatus. Time to review, renew and compose. So is this a tired sounding release from a band that should have known better? Fuck no, this is stonking stuff. Kurdt Vanderhoff always had an ear for a good tune and there are belters on this like opener Bulletproof, Suiciety and the title track. He has this crunchy guitar tone that screams old school metal. Ronny Munroe sounds great on this too and a lot has to do with the quality of material presented to him. I'm glad they are back and bothered to release new material when they could have done those 70,000 tons of metal cruises playing all the golden oldies.

   The cover is shit though.

Richie.

http://www.ratpakrecordsamerica.com/metal-church