Author Joel McIver is Our Guest Once Again on This Weeks Focus on Metal

Episode 316 - McIver Alive VI

Author Joel McIver makes has sixth appearance on Focus on Metal this week. We always like to have a year end wrap up discussion with Joel and we finally managed to schedule that this week. Who ever said the year end discussion had to take place right at the end of the year?

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Just Posted: Harry James on This Weeks Focus on Metal

Episode 275 - Harry James

On tap this week is a discussion Richie did with Harry James, the rhythmic engine behind the UK bands Thunder, Magnum, and Snake Chamer. Also we do a bit of GnR discussion and throw in a track of the week from the new self titled release by Sarasin.

thunderonline.com   magnumonline.co.uk/   snakecharmer.org/   

Great vid from our track of the week artists Sarasin. Find them at sarasin.ca/

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.

JEFF OLY OLSON To Judge Guitar Center Drum-Off This Month

THE SKULL drummer and keyboardist Jeff “Oly” Olson (TROUBLE) has been chosen to be a judge for the annual Guitar Center Drum-Off – the world's premier drum competition - this September in Portland, Maine. The Guitar Center Drum-Off is an annual search for the top undiscovered drummer. Now in its 26th year, the Drum-Off competition was developed to inspire and support drummers in the pursuit of their musical aspirations, and is committed to rewarding and recognizing talent by providing a launching pad for a professional career as a drummer. Olson comments: "I’m excited and honored to be a part of this! I been drumming for well over thirty years... this is going to be a lot of fun.” The competition will be judged on skills/technique, groove, originality, stage presence and overall performance. The grand prize is $25,000 cash plus thousands of dollars in prizes and endorsement deals. Interested drummers can get more information at www.drumoff.guitarcenter.com or visit their local Guitar Center store directly. Olson has been writing and recording in the music industry since the formation of TROUBLE in 1979 and holds a Bachelor of Music degree in film scoring, cum laude, from Berklee College of Music. Olson is also an alumnus of The Blue Stars Drum and Bugle Corps and is endorsed by ddrum and Vic Firth. As recently reported, THE SKULL — the band Olson formed with fellow original member of doom-metal legends TROUBLE vocalist Eric Wagner, alongside longtime former TROUBLE bassist Ron Holzner, guitarist Lothar Keller (SACRED DAWN), and guitarist Matt Goldsborough (PENTAGRAM) — will release its debut album, "For Those Which Are Asleep", on November 4 via Tee Pee Records. "For Those Which Are Asleep" is the first full-length album to feature Wagner, Holzner and Olson since the 1995 release of TROUBLE's critically acclaimed LP "Plastic Green Head". "For Those Which Are Asleep" track listing: 01. Trapped Inside My Mind 02. The Touch Of Reality 03. Sick Of It All 04. The Door 05. Send Judas Down 06. A New Generation 07. Till The Sun Turns Black 08. For Those Which Are Asleep 09. Sometime Yesterday Mourning 10. The Last Judgment In celebration of the 30th anniversary of TROUBLE’s landmark debut "Psalm 9" (which Wagner and Olson co-wrote and performed on), THE SKULL will perform the influential album in its entirety at the following shows.  September 19  - Uninvited Festival – Brooklyn, NY October 10 – Day of Doom Festival – Barcelona, Spain October 11 – Side B - Lisbon, Portugal October 13 – The Underworld Camden – London, England Additional performances will be announced soon.

THE SKULL's New Guitarist Revealed - More TROUBLE Than TROUBLE

There is now more “Trouble” for THE SKULL - the new band featuring original TROUBLE members vocalist Eric Wagner and drummer Jeff “Oly” Olson alongside TROUBLE’s longtime bassist Ron Holzner and SACRED DAWN guitarist Lothar Keller - as they have recruited former TROUBLE bassist Chuck Robinson as their new dueling guitar player. Drummer and keyboardist Jeff “Oly” Olson comments: “We are excited and honored that Chuck Robinson has accepted our invitation to join the band. He is the perfect fit for THE SKULL.” “I’ve always enjoyed rehearsing with Chuck as he is disciplined with his art. He’ll surely bring a bonus to the band with his experience as a former TROUBLE member and as a seasoned musician who utilizes both his talented song writing ability and his exceptional recording skills. We are looking forward to tour with our brother again.” Olson added, “Chuck is more then a bass player. He grew up playing guitar with his father, also a very talented guitarist. Eric, Ron, Lothar, and myself know that Chuck is more than capable for the job. He’ll bring chops with a heavy groove to our debut album, as well as bring his charisma to the stage.”         THE SKULL has confirmed the following three shows. More shows will be added for North America and Europe in the coming weeks. May 09  - Cleveland, Ohio - The Grog Shop May 10 – Chicago, Illinois – Reggies August 29 - Montreal, Canada - The Wings of Metal Festival The Wings of Metal Festival will be a headlining performance consisting of two sets. The first set will be a performance of TROUBLE’s 1984 debut album “Psalm 9” in it’s entirety. The second set will include a performance of newly recorded songs as well as TROUBLE classics. As previously reported, THE SKULL has inked a deal with Tee Pee Records and has recently recorded two songs with acclaimed producer/engineer Billy Anderson (MELVINS, NEUROSIS) which will see the light of day this spring. "Sometime Yesterday Mourning" is a doomy metal song written by Keller, Holzner and Wagner that showcases the genre pioneers' distinct style while "The Last Judgement" is a "revisiting" of the classic TROUBLE song of the same name that originally appeared on the classic 1983 "Metal Massacre IV" compilation album. "I think 'Sometime Yesterday Mourning' is the perfect song for THE SKULL to lead with and there's a reason why it was the first song we completed as a band," commented Wagner. "It's about coming to a point in life when it's just time for a new beginning, a fresh start if you will, and finally coming to terms with the past. "Being that it is the 30th anniversary of the release of the song 'The Last Judgement' — the first song we ever released — we thought it fit perfectly for the B-side and considering what 'Sometime Yesterday Mourning' is about, it made sense to me. You have to go through your past to get to your future." THE SKULL will follow the release of the new songs with its debut full length LP, tentatively slated for release this autumn. THE SKULL is: Eric Wagner – vocals Jeff “Oly” Olson – drums/keys Ron Holzner – bass Lothar Keller – guitar Chuck Robinson – guitar

Original TROUBLE Drummer Jeff “Oly” Olson Launches Beer/Schedules Meet And Greets

Original TROUBLE drummer Jeff “Oly” Olson will launch a Belgium-style stout named RED HOWES with Allagash Brewing Company set for release on Saturday, January 25th. The limited bottles will be sold in 750 ml and will be distributed nationwide on draft.  Named after Olson’s Grandfather, RED HOWES is an Imperial Stout brewed with over 3,000 pounds of New England cranberries. Coincidently, the cranberry’s brewed in the beer are of the Red Howes and Early Blacks variety. The beer is black in color with a creamy beige head brewed with 2-Row barley, a blend of roasted malts and grains. Cocoa, coffee, and berries fill the aroma with flavors of dried fruit and bitter chocolate with a slight tartness and a dry lingering finish. 8.5% ABV.   Olson is no stranger to the brewing industry having worked in breweries and wineries for over twenty years whilst not on band tours. Moreover, Olson has been writing and recording in the music industry since the formation of TROUBLE (1979) and holds a Bachelor of Music degree in film scoring, cum laude, from Berklee College of Music. Currently, Olson is playing drums and keyboards for THE SKULL (featuring original TROUBLE vocalist Eric Wagner and longtime TROUBLE bassist Ron Holzner), Victor Griffin’s IN~GRAVED, and is a multi-instrumentalist with his heavy psychedelic/doom project RETRO GRAVE. In other news, Olson will be scheduling meet and greets both in Portland, Maine and New York, New York. The dates are as follows. Saturday, January 25th – Allagash Brewing Company – Portland, Maine 8AM- Doors 9AM- Beer goes on sale 10AM – Jeff “Oly” Olson will perform a set list from the music of TROUBLE, THE SKULL, Victor Griffin’s IN~GRAVED, and RETRO GRAVE. *Bottles only Saturday, March 1st – Idle Hands Bar- New York, New York 8PM-11PM *Draft only

Original TROUBLE Drummer Rejoins THE SKULL; Says He Want's To Rock Again

Jeff "Oly" Olson has joined forces again with THE SKULL, the band he formed with fellow original member of Chicago doom-metal legends TROUBLE vocalist Eric Wagner and the band's longtime bassist Ron Holzner.  Olson states, "I know that I've mentioned that I wouldn't perform TROUBLE's music anymore unless it's with the other original members, but I've had a change of heart. I want to rock again. Although I have been having a great time playing keys for IN~GRAVED (led by former Pentagram guitarist Victor Griffin), I miss the drums and playing classic TROUBLE songs. I'm still going to jam with Victor, but there is room for THE SKULL too." "In just a few short months, 2014 will mark the 30th anniversary year for TROUBLE's debut record Psalm 9. TROUBLE guitarists Rick Wartell and Bruce Franklin are having fun with their new record, and I had fun writing some intros for it, it's just that Eric, Ron, and myself want to jam too and celebrate our 30th anniversary as well with a tour and a new record. We've worked just as hard as Bruce and Rick over the years and we feel that we’ve earned the privilege to celebrate with the fans as well. There is no animosity between the two bands and we intend to keep it that way." We are currently writing a debut record set for release in 2014 and I've already submitted several songs to the guys. Excitement is in the air."   "I'm also going to be brewing a beer for Allagash Brewing Company (based in Portland, Maine) set for release for the 2013 holidays. The beer will be Imperial Stout brewed with cranberries. More on that later... life is good!" THE SKULL's debut release will be produced by Billy Anderson (HIGH ON FIRE, SLEEP, NEUROSIS) this autumn in Portland, Oregon and the yet-to-be-determined record label will be announced soon. Confirmed shows are as follows: September 14 - Tequilla Jaxx - Cleveland, OH (with Earthen Grave) October 11 - Denver Doom Fest III - Denver, CO October 13 - Fall Into Darkness VII - Portland, OR October 19 - Loaded - Hollywood, CA The 2014 PSALM 9 30th Anniversary Tour is currently being booked for both The U.S and Europe.

Original TROUBLE Drummer JEFF "OLY" OLSON" Joins VICTOR GRIFFIN's IN~GRAVED

Original TROUBLE drummer and RETRO GRAVE mainman Jeff "Oly" Olson posted on his HEADY METAL WITH JEFF OLSON podcast Facebook page on Dec 20:    

"Hey, it's official... I'll be playing Hammond Organ on Victor Griffin's In-Graved debut album due Spring 2013. I'll be playing the Roadburn Festival in Tilburg, Holland on Saturday, April 20th as well as other select tour dates. I'l keep you posted. Merry Christmas everyone!"