Introduce yourself, tell me what you do in The Heaven Switch, and how long the band has been together.
Well, hello there. I’m Ryan Calhoun. I attempt to sing, play guitar and write songs in The Heaven Switch. This is my new project that I’ve been working on for the last year or so.

What was the name of the very first song you wrote, how old were you, and what was the song about?
Oh man, I was probably about 12 or so. I think it was called Round The Block. It was about me walking to school and seeing a cute girl. Very innovative writing.

What do you think of the local Los Angeles music scene and how does The Heaven Switch fit into the scheme of things?
It’s an interesting time right now in LA. I think Hotel Cafe has helped the singer/songwriter circle and has been really influential. It’s definitely become the place to play. There aren’t a lot of “pop/rock” bands right now, which could be a good thing or could work against us. I’m still trying to figure out exactly where we fit in I suppose.

Where did you come up with the band name The Heaven Switch?
I was having a conversation with my manager one day and we were talking about how powerful music is. It can create such strong emotions in someone at the flip of a switch, like a sense of Utopia. And from that, The Heaven Switch was born.

Select any two songs from your album and what inspired the lyrical content.
Trainwreck talks about loving someone despite, well being a trainwreck. I think we’ve all had someone in our life like that. I definitely have. Fault Lines was really inspired by the delicacy of life. Things can change so quickly and most of the time we don’t have any control over it. I was going through a lot personally, when writing that. Life brings joy and pain, sometimes all at once. I think you always have to be thankful for what you have and where you’re at.

What could one expect from a live The Heaven Switch show?
Energy! I love playing live, and our songs have an energy that wants to make you move your hips a little.

What kind of musical projects were you involved with prior to The Heaven Switch?
Prior to The Heaven Switch, I was doing my solo stuff as Ryan Calhoun. More of the singer/songwriter thing.

What was the first TV show you ever heard one of your songs on and what did you think while it was playing?.
The first show that played one of my songs was The Real World. A very surreal experience. It was pretty cool knowing that a lot of people were listening to it all at the same time.

Which song did they play on Cougar Town and are you a fan of the show?
I believe they play a song from my solo album called Sometimes Sorry Is The Wrong Thing to Say (sorry for the long title, pun intended). Um, how could you not be a fan of Courteney Cox?

Your music has been on Keeping Up With The Kardashians. Have you ever met any of the Kardashians and how did that come about?
Never met any of them yet. Although, I saw Kim at a bar once. I don’t think it would have been too smooth to be like, “hey, my music is on your show.” The music supervisors for the show were fans of my music and have always been really good to me. For that, I’m very grateful.

You had only two millions plays on your Myspace page. How does that feel knowing your sounds have been listened to that many times?
It’s pretty crazy. You never know how people are going to react to your music. It’s a such a personal thing for me and for people to have a connection with the songs that I write is the most rewarding feeling.

What’s up next for The Heaven Switch?
Well, the new album is out. Going to be playing a lot of shows, touring some and hopefully continuing to build a great fan base.

Any final words of wisdom?
Go after the things you want in life, with reckless abandon. No matter what it is…

(Interview by Kenneth Morton)

The Heaven Switch Official Home Page
The Heaven Switch on Facebook

Introduce yourself, tell me what you do in Tenhi, and how long the band has been together.
Hello there. I am Ilmari and I play various instruments in the band. Piano, guitar, bass, drums and backing vocals would be my normal territory. Tenhi has been around from 1996 and currently me and Tyko Saarikko are the ones composing, writing lyrics and making the art work in the band. We have a bunch of talented musicians as well performing on our records and in live situations.

Where is the band based out of and what is your local music scene like there?
All the personnel connected to the band live in Helsinki, which is the capital of Finland. It is situated in the southern tip of the country. The music scene in general is quite vibrant.  There are definitely a lot of interesting acts coming more and more. In recent years I have noticed that there are even some bands that can be related to what we do. For a long time we where the only band in Finland that was doing the type of music we do. As a band we are not involved in any sort of scene activity – we are more on the recluse side of things.

Is there any overall story or concept behind the Saivo title?
The old myth about a Finnish equivalent of Hades or Elysium that resides beneath a lake binds all the songs in an indirect way together. A stronger conceptual link is the theme of water that is dealt in every song from different symbolical perspectives. For me one main meaning for Saivo is a current of subconscious that connects us to the past and thus reunites us to the ones that have passed over to the other side.

Select any two songs from Saivo and what inspired the lyrics.
These types of questions puts me to a thin ice…I rather not open the songs from my personal view at all – the interpretations that are made by the listener are equally important and correct. Giving my predigested analysis on a plate does not add anything to the song…

Who did the cover art for Saivo and how much input did you have on it?
Tyko has always done the artwork for our records. Art of the records is very important for us – we consider it to be an integral component of Tenhi. The process of the artwork goes alongside with the music so both have a influence over each other. Very often song is born from a visual starting point.

How did the core members of Tenhi meet and what do you think has made this collaboration work so well since 1996?
I met Tyko back in the day when we both attended Art High School here in Helsinki. Before me joining the band we were just friends hanging together and musically we had somewhat different interests. I was playing doom metal and classical music and Tyko was into black metal at the time. The musical common ground was found when Tyko envisioned a idea of a band performing acoustic music with dark and atmospheric feel. Since then Tyko and I have shared a similar vision of the band – but at the same time we have maintained our own identity as musicians and composers.

What could one expect from a live Tenhi show?
We have really sparsely played live and we do not consider ourselves as a live band. The gigs we have done have been simple calm performances without any explosives and such. I hope that we deliver a spiritual blast to the brain when we play. I guess that our type of mood music requires a lot from the audience as well for if people behave like in a normal rock concert yelling and farting a lot of the details are missed and the focus is gone from us too.

What is your favorite Finnish beer and why?
This is really not a typical question! Current favorites are Sandels and Karhu for me. They are both nicely balanced in taste and do the trick.

When you look back on your older work recorded from 97-02, what do you think if it now?
I think that the albums that we have done previously have stood against the tooth of time quite nicely. I have never considered our span of work as progression – for me the albums are just different but equal.
Every album has its own special spot in my heart for different reasons. Our style has been quite the same thru out the years so all the albums form a coherent body of work.

Are you or any of the other members involved with any other musical projects outside of Tenhi?
Our outer ring of the collective is very active in doing other musical projects – unfortunately I do not know exactly what they are doing…Some folk music and opera to my best knowledge.

Has your music ever been featured in film? If asked, would you ever consider doing a film score and do you have any favorite film scores or composers?
We have not done any music for films but we have done music for a television series in the past.
Sure if we are asked to score a film we would definitely consider it.

What’s up next for Tenhi in the New Year?
Currently we are reassembling our studio. We have a small recording rig, which we have used for the albums in different locations but now we are planning to have more stable studio. At the moment we are planning the acoustic treatments for the spaces – there is a lot of work to do before we start to chew all the ideas that we have for the next release. In the past we have been tossing ideas about a book or a movie too – but I think that we end up making music as usual…

Any final words of wisdom?
No.

Thank you for taking the time to answer these questions
Thank you for the interest towards us and give my regards to the Sun. I have not seen lately too much of it here….

(Interview by Kenneth Morton)

Tenhi on Facebook

“We are so excited to go back to North America,” commented guitarist Andreas Kisser. “Last year was great but this time we have the new album Kairos out and people already know the new stuff. Plus, it’s the first time we are touring with our long time friends in DEATH ANGEL and our brothers from Brazil KRISIUN. Finally we have a chance to tour with a Brazilian band outside Brazil; a long time wish! So prepare yourselves for an amazing and historical tour. North America deserves some real extreme and intense metal! See you all soon on the RELENTLESS WORLDWIDE TOUR, DESTROY!”

SEPULTURA, DEATH ANGEL, KRISIUN, HAVOK
04/10/12 Yost Theater – Santa Ana, CA
04/11/12 DNA Lounge – San Francisco, CA ç No DEATH ANGEL
04/12/12 Branx – Portland, OR
04/13/12 Studio Seven – Seattle, WA
04/14/12 In The Venue – Salt Lake City, UT
04/15/12 Gothic Theatre – Englewood, CO
04/16/12 Manny’s – Billings, MT
04/17/12 The Exchange – Regina, SK – CANADA
04/18/12 Pyramid Cabaret – Winnipeg, MB – CANADA
04/20/12 Majestic Theater – Madison, WI
04/21/12 Mojoe’s – Joliet, IL
04/22/12 Water Street Music Hall – Rochester, NY
04/23/12 The Opera House – Toronto, ON – CANADA
04/24/12 Imperial Theater – Quebec City, QC – CANADA
04/25/12 Club Soda – Montreal, QC – CANADA
04/26/12 Bogies – Albany, NY
04/27/12 Sonar – Baltimore, MD ç No DEATH ANGEL
04/28/12 TBA
04/29/12 Higher Ground – South Burlington, VT
04/30/12 Irving Plaza – New York, NY ç No DEATH ANGEL

SEPULTURA released Kairos, their 12th studio album and Nuclear Blast Records debut, on July 12, 2011. Kairos was recorded once again at Trama Studios in São Paulo, Brazil and produced and mixed by Roy Z. (JUDAS PRIEST, HALFORD, BRUCE DICKINSON, HELLOWEEN). Mastering was handled by Maor Appelbaum at Maor Appelbaum Mastering. Cover artwork was handled this time around by artist Erich Sayers.

For more info visit: www.Sepultura.com.br | www.myspace.com/Sepultura | www.facebook.com/sepultura

The group will tour in support of their latest album, Nevaeh, released in 2011. Watch the band discuss each track from the album here.

Tour Dates:
03/10/2012 – Buffalo, NY @ BROADWAY JOE’S
03/11/2012 – Brooklyn, NY @ XPO 929
03/12/2012 – Trenton, NJ @ Championships
03/13/2012 – Allentown, PA @ Crocodile Rock
03/15/2012 – Grand Rapids, MI @ INTERSECTION
03/17/2012 – Portage, IN @ Camelot Hall
03/18/2012 – Crest Hill, IL @ Bada Brew
03/20/2012 – Des Moines, IA @ Vaudeville Mews
03/21/2012 – Rapid City, SD @ T.R.E.A Bingo Hall
03/22/2012 – Lincoln, NE @ KNICKERBOCKERS
03/23/2012 – Englewood, CO @ Gothic Theatre
03/24/2012 – Ogden, UT @ The Basement
03/25/2012 – Boise, ID @ The Venue
03/27/2012 – Seattle, WA, @ EL CORAZON
03/28/2012 – Tacoma, WA @ Hell’s Kitchen
03/30/2012 – Stockton, CA @ Plea For Peace Center
03/31/2012 – Bakersfield, CA @ The Underground
04/02/2012 – Lancaster, CA @ Industry Theater
04/03/2012 – Scottsdale, AZ @ CHASERS
04/04/2012 – St. Clovis, NM @ K-Otic
04/05/2012 – Lubbock, TX, @ JAKE’S
04/06/2012 – Dallas, TX @ The Boiler Room
04/07/2012 – Spring, TX @ Anchors Church
04/08/2012 – Austin, TX @ Red 7

For more information on Design The Skyline:
http://www.facebook.com/designtheskyline
http://www.victoryrecords.com/designtheskyline

IWRESTLEDABEARONCE will join CHELSEA GRIN, MEMPHIS MAY FIRE, SENSES FAIL, SLEEPING WITH SIRENS and a number of other artists that will be revealed shortly. Pre-sale tickets for the tour will be available on April 6, 2012. Fans should check www.vanswarpedtour.com for line up announcements and other updates.

Prior to the Vans Warped Tour dates, IWRESTLEDABEARONCE will be heading out with Molotov Solution, Glass Cloud and The Greenery for the “Road To Metal Fest” tour leading up to and following their appearance on the New England Metal and Hardcore Festival on April 21.

IWRESTLEDABEARONCE recently released their sophomore album, Ruining It For Everybody which debuted at #75 on the Top 200 Billboard Charts. Highlighting both chilling screams and soothing melodies from vocalist Krysta Cameron, IWRESTLEDABEARONCE has mastered the combination of heavy music and glitch electronics. As put by Crave Online, “Iwrestledabearonce have created a shimmering piece of artistic genius.” The music video for the track “You Know That Ain’t Them Dogs’ Real Voices” can be seen here.

For more information on IWRESTLEDABEARONCE, please visit:
www.iwrestledabearonce.com
www.facebook.com/iwrestledabearonce
www.twitter.com/iwabo
www.centurymedia.com

“Road To Metal Fest” Tour Dates:
4/16 – Oklahoma City, OK @ Conservatory
4/17 – Memphis, TN @ New Daisy Theater
4/18 – Knoxville, TN @ Valarium
4/20 – Springfield, VA @ Empire
4/21 – Worcester, MA @ New England Metal and Hardcore Festival @ The Palladium
4/23 – Pittsburgh, PA @ Altar Bar
4/24 – Evansville, IN @ Boney Junes
4/25 – Bloomington, IL @ The Castle Theater
4/26 – Des Moines, IA @ Vaudeville Mews
4/27 – Iowa City, IA @ Blue Moose
4/29 – Denver, CO @ Marquis Theatre
4/30 – Albuquerque, NM @ Launchpad
5/01 – Flagstaff, AZ @ Cinnabar

Vans Warped Tour Dates:
6/16 – Salt Lake City, UT
6/17 – Denver, CO
6/20 – Las Vegas, NV
6/21 – Irvine, CA
6/22 – Pomona, CA
6/23 – San Francisco, CA
6/24 – Ventura, CA
6/27 – San Diego, CA
6/28 – Phoenix, AZ
6/29 – Las Cruces, NM
6/30 – San Antonio, TX
7/1 – Houston, TX
7/3 – Dallas, TX
7/5 – Saint Louis, MO
7/6 – Detroit, MI
7/7 – Chicago, IL
7/8 – Minneapolis, MN
7/9 – Kansas City, MO
7/10 – Indianapolis, IN
7/11 – Cleveland, OH
7/12 – Pittsburgh, PA
7/13 – Toronto, ON
7/14 – Montreal, ON
7/15 – Hartford, CT
7/17 – Buffalo, NY
7/18 – Scranton, PA
7/19 – Boston, MA
7/20 – Philadelphia, PA
7/21 – New York, NY
7/22 – Oceanport, NJ
7/24 – Washington, DC
7/25 – Virginia Beach, VA
7/26 – Atlanta, GA
7/27 – Orlando, FL
7/28 – Miami, FL
7/29 – Tampa, FL
7/30 – Charlotte, NC
7/31 – Cincinnati, OH
8/1 – Milwaukee, WI
8/4 – Seattle, WA
8/5 – Portland, OR

http://www.decibelmagazine.com/featured/streaming-borknagar-roots/

BORKNAGAR’s mastermind Øystein G. Brun checked in to comment about the song:

“In regards to the depth, diversity and magnitude of our new album, ‘Urd‘, it almost feels painful to slice off just a tiny bit of the bloody roast for the very first official ‘starter’. I would argue that each and every song on the new album stands on solid ground, but as usual with our music, the songs empower each other in the context of a full album.

That said, ‘Roots‘ is probably the song on the album that gives you the most representative impression of ‘Urd‘. Musically it contains most of the elements that framework the musical universe of BORKNAGAR, and lyrically this song is gnawing on the very spine of our lyrical tradition. Hope you enjoy this song, the first tiny glimpse into our new opus. The beast is about to be unleashed…”

The album’s artwork was designed by Brazilian artist Marcelo Vasco (www.P2RDESIGN.com), who has not only already worked on the band’s previous Universal release, but also with artists such as SOULFLY, BELPHEGOR, EINHERJER, and KEEP OF KALESSIN. The mixing duties for the album were taken care of by Jens Bogren at Sweden’s Fascination Street Studios (OPETH, PARADISE LOST, KATATONIA, etc.).

The track-listing for the album is below.

Urd track-listing:
1. Epochalypse
2. Roots
3. The Beauty Of Dead Cities
4. The Earthling
5. The Plains Of Memories
6. Mount Regency
7. Frostrite
8. The Winter Eclipse
9. In A Deeper World

BORKNAGAR line-up (from left to right in band photo):
Øystein G. Brun – Clean & Electric Guitars (CRONIAN, ex-MOLESTED)
ICS Vortex – Bass, Clean Vocals & Choirs (ex-DIMMU BORGIR, ARCTURUS, ICS VORTEX)
Vintersorg – Grim Vocals, Clean Vocals & Choirs (VINTERSORG, FISSION)
Jens F. Ryland – Lead Guitars (ICS VORTEX)
Lars A. Nedland – Keys, Clean Vocals & Choirs (SOLEFALD, ex-CARPATHIAN FOREST)

Drums and percussion on Urd were performed by David Kinkade (SOULFLY, ex-MALEVOLENT CREATION).

BORKNAGAR Live 2012:
04.-07.04 – Oslo (Norway) - Inferno Festival / www.infernofestival.net
13.-14.04 – Lichtenfels (Germany) – Ragnarök Festival / www.ragnaroek-festival.com

More details and information about the upcoming BORKNAGAR release will be issued soon, so stay tuned!

BORKNAGAR online:
www.borknagar.com
www.myspace.com/borknagar
www.facebook.com/borknagarofficial

Danny, Chris, Lorenzo, and Dakota all left their respective hometowns and moved to Los Angeles to chase their rock and roll dream. Once they decided to join forces together they began the arduous task of trying to come up with a band name. After kicking around hundreds of potential names, they got news that their rehearsal studio was broken into and all their music gear was stolen. “Getting news like that was such a kick in the gut that we literally were at a loss for words. We realized in that moment that we had our band name,” said guitarist Chris Johansen who immediately began tracking down the thief. With Chris’ help police apprehended the suspect a few months later and the band’s gear was recovered mostly intact. Instruments in hand, they recorded the first five songs on the album in early 2011 and set out on tour around the country playing shows with such acts as Neon Trees, Smashing Pumpkins, and Patrick Stump of Fall Out Boy. Realizing they weren’t quite capturing their recorded sound live, they added guitarist/vocalist Matt Geronimo and headed back into the studio to record the acoustic half of the record as a five piece.

With a high energy live show the band is excited to get back out on the road and bring their new music to the thousands of fans that have been constantly tweeting for them to play in their city. The band plans to tour heavily in support of the new album (see tour dates below). “The fans have been amazingly supportive. This journey has been a real roller coaster ride but we have come out of it stronger than ever,” continues Danny. “Hopefully that message comes across and inspires people to continue chasing their dreams. Today is an ‘Open Door.’”

ATTALOSS TOUR SCHEDULE:
2/18 – West Hollywood, CA- Whisky-A-Go-Go
3/2 – West Hollywood, CA – Viper Room
3/3 – Los Angeles, CA – LA Roller Derby
3/7 – San Diego, CA – The Office
3/9 – El Paso, TX – House of Rock
3/10 – Midland, TX – Casa de Luna
3/15-3/17 – Austin, TX – Texas Rockfest
3/22 – San Antonio, TX – Tonic Bar
3/23 – Corpus Christi, TX – Zero’s Hard Rock Club
3/24 – Houston, TX – Acadia
4/1 – Durham, NC – Motorco
4/10 – Philadelphia, PA – The Grape Room
4/13 – New York, NY – Arlenes Grocery
4/18 – Allentown, PA – Crocodile Rock
4/20 – South Euclid, OH – College Hall/Notre Dame College
(more dates forthcoming…)

www.facebook.com/Attaloss
www.twitter.com/WeAreAttaloss

Los Angeles, CA: DIY to the core, Stellar Corpses, who just released their album “Dead Stars Drive-In” (Santa Carla Records), which has been gaining traction at specialty radio with first single “Vampire Kiss,” are embarking on another self-booked tour, including special shows with Michale Graves (Misfits) and Marky Ramone.

“Dead Stars Drive-In” was produced by Joe McGrath (AFI, Tiger Army, Alkaline Trio and many more). “It was amazing to record in the same place that so many of my influences recorded,” lead singer/guitarist Dusty Grave exudes. “Black Flag, Descendents and Pennywise to name a few. And working with Joe McGrath was incredible. He helped us to make the best record of our lives. “We are excited to have some really special guests on the album like Hunter Burgan (AFI), Jade Puget (AFI) and Michale Graves (Misfits)!”

Dusty continues, “I’m grateful to be an independent musician. ‘Dead Stars Drive-In’ is exactly the album that we wanted to make. So much of today’s popular music is inauthentic. We’re not hearing music from the artists’ hearts, but instead we’re hearing what their record labels think will sell. We’re all so incredibly proud of how ‘Dead Stars Drive-In’ sounds.”

Stellar Corpses hail from Santa Cruz and have become a fixture in its hard rock music scene. This is no overnight success story. Stellar Corpses met in high school and have been around, playing small clubs, building their fan base and doing whatever it takes to be able to create and perform music as their lifelong career. They’ve got the goods…now it’s time to get out there and prove it to a bigger audience.

When you first hear the band name “Stellar Corpses,” you probably assume it’s another death rock band. Not so. Stellar Corpses, which literally means “dead stars” in astronomy, are an amalgamation of punk, rockabilly, hard rock and even some melodic rock thrown in for good measure. Stellar Corpses list their musical influences as Elvis, Black Flag, Social Distortion, Stray Cats, Bad Religion, Black Sabbath, AFI, The Misfits, Danzig, Rancid, Sepultura and Megadeth. With a mix like that, it’s no wonder Stellar Corpses blended their musical tastes into something really special.

Please check out www.stellarcorpses.com, https://www.facebook.com/StellarCorpses, http://www.youtube.com/stellarcorpses#p/a
Video for “Vampire Kiss” (a must see for “Lost Boys” fans!): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HIhBqZ6fk7w

TOUR DATES
Fri 2/10 – Stockton, CA – Plea For Peace Center (All Ages) 10pm
Sat 2/11 – Berkeley, CA – 924 Gilman St. (All Ages) 9:30pm
Wed 2/15 – Fresno, CA – Bel Tower (All Ages) 11pm
Fri 2/17 – Phoenix – Chasers (Emilio’s Birthday!) 11pm
Sat 2/18 – El Paso – House of Rock (All Ages) 11pm
Sun 2/19 – San Angelo, TX – The Deadhorse Saloon (21+) 11pm
Tue 2/21 – San Antonio, TX – The Korova (All Ages) 10pm
Wed 2/22 – Corpus Christi, TX – Zeros Hard Rock Club 10pm
Thu 2/23 – Laredo, TX – The Cold Brew (21+) 10pm
Fri 2/24 – Austin, TX – Headhunters (21+) 11pm
Sat 2/25 – Dallas – La Grange (21+) 9pm
Sat 3/3 – Denver – Moe’s (Englewood, All Ages) 11pm
Sun 3/4 – Grand Junction, CO – Tenacious Brothers Pub (21+) 11pm
Wed 3/7 – Vernal, UT – Best Western Dinosaur Inn (All Ages) 10pm
Thu 3/8 – Salt Lake City, UT – Burts Tiki Lounge (21+) 11pm
Fri 3/9 – Sparks, NV – The Alley (All Ages) 11pm
Sat 3/10 – Oakland, CA – The Metro (All Ages) 11pm
Thu 3/15 – Ventura, CA – Billy O’s (21+) 10pm
Fri 3/16 – San Diego – Bar Eleven (21+) 11pm
Sat 3/17 – Reseda, CA – Webers (All Ages) 10pm
Sun 3/18 – Anaheim, CA – Mirror Image Studios (All Ages) 10pm
Wed 3/21 – Joplin, MO – The New Keystone Lounge 10pm
Thu 3/22 – Springfield, MO – Outland Ballroom (All Ages) 10pm
Wed 3/28 – Hoboken, NJ Maxwell’s (with Marky Ramone & Michale Graves) 9pm
Thu 3/29 – Stroudsburg, PA Sherman Theater (with Marky Ramone & Michale Graves) 9pm
Fri 3/30 – Atlantic City, NJ Atlantic City Convention Center (with Marky Ramone & Michale Graves) 9pm
Sat 3/31 – Baltimore, MD Sonar (with Marky Ramone & Michale Graves) 9pm
Sun 4/01 – Brooklyn, NY The Bell House (with Marky Ramone & Michale Graves) 9pm

“a bludgeoning slab of death metal in the Morbid Angel/Immolation vein…surprisingly catchy machine-gun riffs, blasting drum patterns and the occasional nod to grindcore brethren Nasum and Napalm Death. Gleefully damned…planet-cracking intensity. 9/10.”

The band will hit North American shores for the first time the week of release, to support The Black Dahlia Murder, Nile and Skeletonwitch on a full U.S. tour, which includes a stop at the New England Metal and Hardcore Festival. Pre-order the CD on its own or along with a T-shirt or hoodie now at the Prosthetic Store.

See the band live:
03 March 2012, Netherland, Tilburg, Neurotic Deathfest
17 June 2012, France, Clisson, Hellfest
05 – 06 – 07 July 2012 Extreme Fest Austria
05 – 06 – 07 July 2012 Extreme Fest Germany
05 – 06 – 07 July 2012 Extreme Fest Swiss

Forged in the dark shadows of “The Holy Capital,” this most unholy of quartets have steadily been making a name for themselves as one of the most intense, talented and impressive — both in the studio and live onstage — modern death metal bands around.

Unleashing a tour de force in maniacal death metal brutality, a celebration of music in its darkest and most inhuman form and with a brand new worldwide signing to Prosthetic Records, HOUR OF PENANCE have ascended to an even greater height of precision and savagery. Every population has its cancer, every movement its enemies. Be the wolf amongst the flock. Embrace the barbarity!

Introduce yourself, tell me what you do in Crash Street Kids, and how long the band has been together.
Hello, everybody… A.D. Adams, here, and at your service! Thanks, Highwire Daze, for writing about us, and thanks, Dear Reader, for takin’ the time to check this out! Nice t’ meet ‘cha’s! CRASH STREET KIDS are going into our 7th year of whatever-it-is-we-do, and I’ve been falling off the drum stool since the very beginning!!

Where is the band based out of and what is your local music scene like there?
We’re all living in Phoenix, Arizona right now, and totally LOVE it out here! I mean, Dudes… I’m currently having a Jameson-on-the-rocks out by my pool in a Johnny Thunders T-shirt, for cryin’ out loud… ‘cuz it’s 70-somethin’ degrees out here in JANUARY!! As far as the local music scene here, there’s not much to speak of, really. We’re not much a part of the local thing here. There are a few good local bands, but there is literally NO place for them to play in downtown Phoenix any more. No one ever even goes there at night. It’s like a ghost town. All the nightlife happens in the suburbs here. But even there, most of the “clubs” are sports bars by day. There are a few larger clubs out here that are pretty decent that we’ve played, but they are really struggling to keep their doors open, because most people from the east side of town won’t drive to the west side to see a show, and the people from the west side won’t go to the east side. It’s all pretty safe and sterile, really, with everything in the ‘burbs!

Is there any story or overall concept behind the Sweet Creatures CD title?
The title, SWEET CREATURES, describes the often tumultuous relationship between teenagers and their parents. The fine line we all walk, in between being a child and being an adult, or more, like that big space in between! It’s about that love/hate thing that the kids, and their parents alike, both share. What kid didn’t ever utter the words, “I hate my Dad” (or Mom)? What parents haven’t thought to themselves, at least once, “Damn it!! I’m gonna choke that little…”?!?!? It represents all the anger, the curiosity, the anxiety, the complexity, the frustration, and the independence of the teenage experience. The title track, SWEET CREATURES, is a high-speed, power-packed explosion that rips through the heart of the generation gap with both fists flailin’…and a BITCHIN’ guitar solo!!

Select any two songs from Sweet Creatures and what inspired the lyrics.
“BANG, BANG (You’re Beautiful)” is about love at first sight. A straight-ahead , four-on-the-floor rocker, it’s the story of two kids, both living on the streets. Boy sees girl, and… POW!!! I think we’ve all been there! And NO self-respecting album regarding life on the streets would be complete without a song about a gun-toting, drug-dealing, fast-talking, street-walking hooker named Mary, would it??? That song would be “MARY, QUEEN OF THE ROCK“!! Our heroine (pardon the pun) is a loveable, green-eyed, ebony-skinned transvestite of the highest order- a real ladies’ man!!! She befriends our teenage lovers and provides them with their various needs. A true glitter-rock barn-burner, this one!!

How does Sweet Creatures compare to the previous Crash Street Kids CD’s?
It’s hard to truly compare them objectively. It certainly has become my favorite, though! It’s got a bit of a macabre sense of humor to it, and I’m a smart-ass by nature! The theme that runs through the record is one of a very dark and serious subject, but we addressed it an often up-lifting, “hang in there, kids, things’ll be all right” kind of way!! Songs like “BANG, BANG…” and “MARY…” are the best examples of that. But there is also the dark irony between the lyrics of “ANGEL” and the happy Bo Diddley stomp rhythm that drives it. “SAD JULIA” is another example. It’s a love song that reeks of charm and innocence. But the fact that danger lurks around every corner when you’re living in the shadows of the night, is completely understated by the good-time, honky-tonk piano that supports the rhythm!!. There is a certain vibe about this album that really hits a lot of the right buttons.

What could one expect from a live Crash Street Kids show?
Sweat-smeared make-up. Ripping guitars. Pounding drums. Bowel-shaking bass. Giant, four-part harmonies. Infectious hooks played by under-nourished, pasty-white-semi-shirtless rockers leaping about like monkeys on fire. Big lights… bigger volume. Graffiti taggers, sexed-up dancing tramps, confetti bombs, elevating pianos, money-filled balloons, and a partridge in a pear tree! If there’s something I’ve left out, let us know- we’ll work it up for the next tour!

Has Crash Street Kids has ever played in the Los Angeles area or plan to do so in the future?
Yes, we have. A couple of years ago, we flew out to L.A. to accept some awards for the “CHEMICAL DOGS” album. While were there, we also performed at the awards show, which was held at the Whisky-A-Go-Go. We’d like to get out there again soon. Looks like we may head out there this summer. Hope so…that’d be great!

Crash Streets Kids is invited to participate on a David Bowie tribute album. What song would you play by David Bowie and why?
Well, in a way, we’ve already done one!! We tipped our collective hats to Mott The Hoople on our first album, “LET’S ROCK AND ROLL TONITE“, by doing a version of “All The Young Dudes“, which was actually written by Bowie. But I’m STILL pickin’ two more!!! I think we’d have a great time doing “Life On Mars“. The lyrics to that are as good as it gets. The melody is intoxicating, and the strings and piano arrangements are true genius. He was at the top of his game on that one!! For the second one, I’d have to pick “Moonage Daydream“. We busted that one out, once, live at a show one night, and extended the guitar solo at the end… just built it to a frenzy! The crowd really ate it up! I’d like to capture that on a record. Ryan and Ricky [CSK's guitar players] would have a field day with that one!!

Going back one album, what made you decide it was time to release a live record and where was It recorded?
HA!! That’s actually a great question! We decided even before we did our FIRST record, that our fourth record HAD to be a “double live album”! Why? Simple… We have this imaginary book we refer to that we like to call “Rock Logic”. This very important source of vital information exists only in our drunken minds, and we refer to it quite often!! It usually goes something like this: “The Great Book hereby decrees the observation of the Foghat Principal, in that, in order to achieve maximum rock potential, one’s fourth album must be of a live nature, and abundant in song, thusly becoming a double offering”. And so it is written….! It has also been well-documented that Kiss’ fourth album was a double live album. Blue Oyster Cult’s fourth album was also a double live album. We simply had no choice! We had the distinct pleasure of being asked to do the record at Alice Cooper’s Town, Alice’s club in downtown Phoenix. It’s closed now, I think, or they stopped doing live music… It was recorded over a two night engagement. We had a blast recording it, and the crowds were fantastic! Alice showed up one night. He’s been a really good friend to us, and is always happy to tell us that he’s big fan of CSK!!! It was quite inspiring, to say the least, looking up towards the balcony, and seeing the legendary Alice Cooper leaning over the railing, pumping his fist in the air, and singing along, like he’s the only one in the room!! That’s the way to record a live record!!! Thanks, Uncle Alice…we love ya, ya big lug!!!

How easy or difficult has it been to produce your own albums and have you ever produced other bands?
We love doing it ourselves, because no one else hears the songs the way we do. We’ve had the advice of some other producers, but they always end up trying to take us into a “modern rock” direction. They want to make us sound more “current”, which is not in the least bit appealing to us. We have all the technology at our studio, and the knowledge and experience to make this thing sound like a freakin’ Coldplay record, if we wanted to, but why on Earth would we wanna do that??!!?? The sound we get is by design. If our record sounds like an old Slade album, or Mott album, or Alice Cooper album, then we’ve done what we set out to do. We tend to start losing the respect of producers who have “better ideas” as to what they think we should sound like. But we WOULD like to work with Bob Ezrin!!! He’s a freakin’ genius! BOB!!! ARE YA LISTENING??!!?! We have produced a few demos as favors for friends of ours in other bands, but we really like to stay focused on the next song and the next album.

What’s up next for the band?
Looks like some rehearsal and a couple of local warm-up dates here in Phoenix, then it’s some U.S. tour dates this spring and summer. We’re thinking of going to the fans and having them help us write the set list. We’ve also been talking about Europe and Scandinavia with the “powers that be”…. Gas up the jet, let’s go!!

Any final words of wisdom?
Yes. Please come by and say hello on our website: www.crashstreetkids.com, and hit us up on FaceBook, twitter, ReverbNation, and all our other millions of social media sites! It would also be great if you’d pick up a copy (or two) of our records, but especially SWEET CREATURES, which are all available worldwide on iTunes, CD Baby, Amazon, Best Buy (amongst others), and in the better record stores near you (including the U.S., Europe, Scandinavia, and the U.K). And also, Thanks, Highwire Daze, and thanks all of you out there who still believe in Rock and Roll! And, finally… don’t “date” a stripper named Star if you’re in the New Hampshire area!! Seriously. Don’t.

Crash Street Kids are:
Ryan McKay – Vocals, Guitars
A.D. Adams – Drums
Ricky Serrano – Guitars
Deuce – Bass, Vocals

(Interview by Kenneth Morton)

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