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Tag: Classic Metal

Interview: Michael Wilton of Queensrÿche

ChelseaInterviews

Queensrÿche recently released their new album, Digital Noise Alliance, and I spoke with guitarist Michael Wilton about the making of the album, their tour with Judas Priest, and more.  I’d like to start off by asking you what inspired this album and felt like the right time to release it? Just like most bands, we were waiting for it to be safe to travel with the immunization and shut-downs and all that. We had just gotten off our last tour when the government shut everything down, so we were just like every other musician wondering what was going to happen. […]

Interview: Geoff Tate

ChelseaInterviews

Geoff Tate recently kicked off the 2022 Empire 30th Anniversary Tour in the US, where he’s performing the classic Queensryche albums Empire and Rage For Order in their entirety live with his current band. For this week’s Q&A, we’re bringing one back from the archives of 2021, when I spoke with Geoff about his Sweet Oblivion project, his lifestyle and recording during the pandemic, the Insania Wine brand, and more. Check it out below.  It’s been a while since you and I have chatted for an interview, I think the Metal Hall of Fame in 2020 was probably the last […]

Lockdown Livestream – A Masterlist of Metal & Hard Rock Virtual Content

ChelseaFeatures, News

**Update January 2022** Metal Magnitude started this list during the 2020 lockdown to keep track of livestreams across the rock and metal world, updating with upcoming shows while keeping an archive of past ones that are still available to stream. While the world is still not back to “normal” quite yet, there are now more concerts and tours taking place in person (finally!) than ever before, but some artists are still taking the livestream route from time to time. For now, this list will stay up on the site, so keep an eye out for updates, and if you know […]

Interview: Al Jourgensen

ChelseaInterviews

Ministry just unleashed a new album with Moral Hygiene, the fifteenth of the band’s discography. I recently had a chance to talk with Al Jourgensen about what fueled the ideas of the new record, forming a new lineup and recording during the pandemic, and more. I have so much to say and ask you about Moral Hygiene, but I’ve got to start somewhere, so I want to start with “Alert Level”, obviously an awesome track that hits hard right off the bat, and of course you’ve got the lyric video for it out already. Can you talk about what went […]

Interview: Biff Byford

ChelseaInterviews

Saxon released their new album Inspirations, a cover album featuring the artists and songs that influenced and inspired them, via Silver Lining Music this spring. I had the chance to speak with frontman Biff Byford about the story behind the new album, his solo work, music production, social media, and more. You have the new Saxon Inspirations record which was just released, and of course Saxon has been unstoppable for years, releasing studio album after album, so I’m curious what made you want to go into a covers direction this time around?  Well, the main reason was as something fun […]

Interview: Simon Wright

ChelseaInterviews

Holy Diver Live and Evil Or Divine: Live In New York City are two new Dio live album reissues that were released last month via BMG. I had the chance to talk with iconic drummer Simon Wright about the reissues, his memories of the tours and some stories of Ronnie James Dio, the Dio Returns hologram tours and Dio Disciples, as well as some new side projects and albums Simon recently recorded on. Check it out below:  The main topic that brings us here today is of course the Dio album reissues, Holy Diver Live and Evil Or Divine: Live […]

Interview: Bobby Blitz

ChelseaInterviews

BPMD is a supergroup on Napalm Records, featuring Bobby Blitz, Mike Portnoy, Mark Menghi, and Phil Demmel (whose initials all form the band name). This summer, BPMD released American Made, and I had the honor of chatting with Bobby Blitz about the new project. We covered the concept and ideas behind BPMD, and also had a lot of laughs talking about Bobby’s origins and influences as a vocalist, the early days at clubs like Sundance, Roxy, and L’Amour Brooklyn, and the latest on Overkill’s 20th album on the horizon – plus took a few digs at each other for the […]

Feature: NAMM 2020

ChelseaFeatures

NAMM is massive. Both in literal size and in the level of an experience it provides. You can walk for what feels like miles and still not get from one end of the Anaheim Convention Center to the other, yet still have enough of an experience to fill your four days there. Whether you’re walking through the raucous roar of the drum room, the lilting symphonic sounds of the classical instrument rooms, the eye-catching visuals of the DJ booths, or the dissonance of an multitude of guitars being played in a variety of styles all at once, there’s always something […]

Concert Review: Ultimate NAMM Night 2020

ChelseaConcert Reviews

Ultimate NAMM Night 2020 at the Hilton Anaheim was a unique experience, and that’s putting it mildly. After all, where else can you see Alice Cooper’s daughter Calico Cooper taking on “Ace of Spades” alongside Carla Harvey (Butcher Babies), with Gary Holt (Slayer) and Ira Black (Dark Sky Choir) on guitar, Chuck Garric (Alice Cooper/Beasto Blanco) on bass, and Art Cruz (Lamb of God) on the drums? Or a thrash-heavy “Black Diamond” Kiss cover by Mark Osegueda (Death Angel), Alex Skolnick (Testament), Charlie Benante (Anthrax), Jack Gibson (Exodus), Chuck Garric, Calico Cooper and Paulie Z (The Sweet, Ultimate Jam Night)? […]

Interview: Keith St. John

ChelseaInterviews

I sat down with Keith St. John for an in-depth discussion on the history of Ronnie Montrose as a figure of guitar excellence and innovation in the rock world, more on Keith’s own background as a musician and as the point person for the Ronnie Montrose Remembered event, growing up on Long Island, some rock and radio history, and even a bit of John 5 and Randy Jackson, as well as music and life overall.  So Keith, we’re kind of cooling down after NAMM right now, and the majority of NAMM for you, I feel like, must consist of Ronnie […]

NAMM Interview: Mats Levén

ChelseaInterviews

You may know Mats Levén from Candlemass, from Trans-Siberian Orchestra, from Yngwie Malmsteen, or any of the multitude of projects he’s been involved in, but you may not have known that he’s also the face behind the solo project known as Skyblood, on Napalm Records. I sat down with him at NAMM for an interview about what’s behind Skyblood, as well as some insight into his songwriting techniques, and NAMM 2020 goings-on.  How are you doing, enjoying your day at NAMM? I’m fine, I’ve only been here for two hours, so I’ve only been to the Marshall booth and Gibson, […]

Ronnie Montrose Remembered To Celebrate the Music of Montrose with All-Star Lineup At NAMM

ChelseaNews

Ronnie Montrose Remembered is an annual event that takes place during NAMM, one which will be celebrating its 5th Anniversary this year. The event, set for January 17th, 2020 at The M3 Live in Anaheim, CA, unites a vast and continually expanding list of musicians for a tribute concert to the late namesake guitarist of Montrose, led and coordinated by musician and former Montrose frontman, Keith St. John. The lineup so far includes: Brad Gillis (Night Ranger), George Lynch (Lynch Mob/Dokken), Carmine Appice (Vanilla Fudge, Ozzy Osbourne), Dave Rude (Tesla), Derek St. Holmes (Ted Nugent Band), Dave Amato (REO Speedwagon), […]

Interview: Steve Harris

ChelseaInterviews

Steve Harris’s extra-Maiden musical project, British Lion, is just about to release a new album, The Burning, on January 17th, right before kicking off a U.S. tour that runs until the end of February. Steve was kind enough to take the time for a phoner, discussing all the latest goings-on with British Lion, the new album, tour gear, and more. I just want to dig right into the British Lion stuff, I’ve been listening to this record, I’m very excited about it, and I heard that The Burning is a couple of years in the making, so what made now […]

Interview: Sal Abruscato

ChelseaInterviews

A Pale Horse Named Death, the Brooklyn-based band formed and fronted by Type O Negative and Life of Agony’s Sal Abruscato, released their third album, When The World Becomes Undone, earlier this year. I recently spoke with Sal about the creation of the new album, what brought the band back from their hiatus, their European touring ventures, and more.  You’ve got lots going on right now with A Pale Horse Named Death, you just came off the Season of the Dead European tour, which you just mentioned before we started the interview, how was that run? It was fantastic, a […]

Interview: Kenny Hickey

ChelseaInterviews

Silvertomb just released their debut album, Edge of Existence, this month via Long Branch Records. With Type O Negative’s Kenny Hickey and Johnny Kelly at the helm, the band evolved from Seventh Void and took on a new life with a slew of new songs and sounds, and the addition of three new band members with Joseph James (Agnostic Front, Inhuman), Hank Hell (Inhuman), and Aaron Joos (Awaken The Shadow). I recently had the chance to speak with Kenny about the making of the new Silvertomb album, including the ideas that went into some of the tracks, the personal touch […]