Just Posted: Tracy G guests this week on Focus on Metal

Episode 284 - Tramp

He’s back…recurring guest Tracy G returns this week to discuss many things including the new Tracy G Group release “Tramp”, the anniversary of “Angry Machines”, and other tales from the Dio days. We also talk about the oddness of lead singers and why Mike Beatty, the vocalist for the Tracy G Group, breaks the mold. You can score your own copy of “Tramp” and more great Tracy G music at tracyg.com/

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.

The Tracy G Group- Tramp (The Spooky G Label)

  
   Tracy G is a friend of the show and was an integral part of our multi-episode project on Dio's  Strange Highways album, a fantastic piece of work. Not everything he's done since has hit home with me in the same way though. I like some of Angry Machines and Goaded. The last release to pass through my ears was his Pain Savior Dead Weight On A Dying Planet in 2013, more a project then a real band. Like most projects now involved file sharing back and forth, if you listen deeply enough you can tell. The jamming was missing, something Tracy said was vital to the success of Strange Highways. He wanted a real band, in a room together, old school.

   Tramp is the result and it's the best thing he's put his name to in years. On first listen the sheer heaviness of the music hits you. Opener The Revolution, Leech and Liar all feature bone crushing riffs and Bleed is probably the heaviest song you will hear all year. The band is killer too with Randy Oviedo on bass and Patrick Johansson on drums, listen to these guys groove on The California Country Jamboree Funkfest. Yet it's Michael Beatty's vocals that really floored me, a big man with an even bigger voice. With something to say too with song titles like Arrogant Prick and Liar. I wouldn't want to spill his pint.
  
   The album is far from one dimensional though. Fireball is a good old time blues number and Brokenness also dials it down a notch or two. Some of the tracks remind me of Living Color circa the Stain album such as Evil Is Good. And that guitar tone, bloody hell how does he get it. Funnily enough it reminds me a little of Eddie Van Halen particularly in the beginning of Leech and Fireball. The album ends on a melancholy note with the restrained Me Myself and the Rain. A nice touch proving how rounded a player Tracy really is, a fact everyone we spoke to on the Strange Highways project alluded to.

   So two questions remain, one; have all the Dio Disciples members lost his phone number? Two; does Tracy have the phone number of the girl on the front cover? Great player, great guy and finally a great album.

   Get it at http://www.tracyg.com/

Richie.

Just posted: author Greg Renoff on This Weeks Focus on Metal

Episode 259 - Van Halen Rising

Van Halen Rising, How a California Backyard Party Band Saved Heavy Metal. That's the claim laid out on the cover of the new book by author Greg Renoff. A pretty ballsy statement to be sure but this week Greg stops by Focus on Metal to defend that statement. It's an excellent and well researched book on the origins and early years of Van Halen and we highly recommend it. You can swing by http://vanhalenrising.com/ and check out some great early VH pics and also score yourself some cool swag. It's an all VH week this week so strap yourself in and prepare to head back to 1978.

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.

"Guitar Wizards Vol. III And IV" Artwork Revealed! Features Members Of Whitesnake, Dio, Poison, More

Yesterday, Versailles Records revealed the artwork for their upcoming Guitar Wizards Vol. III and IV compilation. The cover features artists Bruce Kulick (KISS), Tony Franklin (Whitesnake/The Firm), Jeff Healey, Tracy G (Dio), Chris Poland (Megadeth), Blues Saraceno (Poison), Xander Demos (Sabbath Judas Sabbath/XDB) and other included guitar players. The album is scheduled for digital release before Christmas. Physical copies will have a February 2015 street date.  Guitar Wizards Vol. I and II was released earlier this year.

"We're very honored to have Xander Demos featured on the cover, alongside some of the most incredible guitar players in rock and metal," said Demos' manager, Michael Stover of MTS Management Group.  "This compilation has been a long time in the making, and we're very excited for it to finally be coming out.  It's sure to be a huge success!"

Xander Demos and his band, XDB (renamed Raxus Prime) contributed the track, "Dancing Through Daggers," which was to be the first single from their debut album.  The track was mixed by JK Northrup (King Kobra/XYZ). Xander will also be contributing an all-star track to the Versailles Records Queen tribute album, also scheduled for 2015 release.

Focus on Metal 154 - "Strange Highways Exit 2 with Tracy G" is now available

Episode 154 - Strange Highways Exit 2 - Tracy G

Week 3 of Metal Month has arrived and to celebrate we are rolling out another part of our in depth look at Strange Highways. This week we sit down for two talks with guitarist Tracy G.

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.