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Megadeth & friends put mega-fun into 'Metal Tour of the Year'

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Megadeth & friends put mega-fun into 'Metal Tour of the Year'

Under ordinary circumstances, a tour featuring Megadeth, Lamb Of God, Trivium and Hatebreed would be on most metalheads’ nominations list for “Metal Tour of the Year.” Toss in a global pandemic going on 18-plus months that shut down live music for the majority of that time, and that moniker turns into a slam dunk as concerts trickle back into our conscience.

But even if things had been normal and if some considered “Metal Tour of the Year” to be a brandishing of bravado, that likely would have met with a collective, “Yeah it’s a bit brash. So what?” Besides, any tour that incites moshing in near 100-degree temperatures on asphalt based on the music alone deserves such a lofty perch.

These four heavyweights have persevered through their own trials and tribulations and continue to stand tall in the scene. So it was only fitting they kick off their tour — yes, the metal tour of the year — Friday in Austin at the Germania Insurance Amphitheater and racetrack grounds.

There was Megadeth and frontman Dave Mustaine, the one-time Texas resident who continues to defy his 2019 throat cancer diagnosis whenever he performs. Megadeth also had to contend with the recent embarrassing but self-admittance of original bassist David Ellefson, who engaged in virtual sexual activity with a woman other than his wife during a Zoom meeting roughly three weeks after being interviewed by yours truly, eventually leading to his firing by Mustaine. His replacement, at least on tour — James Lomenzo — made his second-stint live debut with Megadeth on this night. Lomenzo, ironically, had been replaced by Ellefson in 2010 after a five-year tenure and may be remembered by many as the original bassist of White Lion.

On a clear moonlit night with heat indexes approaching and possibly surpassing triple digits, the tour’s biggest crime was that Megadeth and Lamb Of God were only afforded an hour and five minutes each, with Trivium and Hatebreed receiving only 40 and 35 minutes, respectively. Also, in an era where many are still struggling financially as a result of Covid-19, band T-shirts increased from the usual $25 or $30 to $40, with special tour editions going for $45.

All that aside, Mustaine and Lomenzo, guitarist Kiko Loureiro and drummer Dirk Verbeuren tore through staples such as opener “Hangar 18”, “Tornado of Souls” and “Sweating Bullets.” Mustaine mentioned a new album is on the way, which reportedly necessitated having Ellefson’s bass parts scrapped, as Megadeth offered up tracks from previous album Dystopia such as “The Threat Is Real” and the title track.

While it would’ve been nice to see Megadeth give “Trust” a rest from the setlist, mandatory tracks such as “Symphony of Destruction” and “Peace Sells” never disappoint. Watch ATM’s Facebook LIve footage of both here.

Rare these days is the performance of anything from 1985 debut Killing Is My Business . . . And Business Is Good, but Mustaine threw a pleasant curve ball of sorts with a blistering version of “Mechanix.” For the mega-uneducated when it comes to Mustaine and Megadeth, the song is the original version of what Metallica turned into “The Four Horsemen” in 1983 after they had reworked “The Mechanix” onto their No Life Till Leather demo. Watch ATM footage here.

Mustaine’s defiance continued in reference to the state of our world when he asked the crowd to do him a favor by turning “to the person next to you and tell them, ‘They’re not taking this shit away from us!’ “ And really, all bands on the bill were living proof.

Lamb Of God arguably stole the show, aided by an ungodly amount of pyro. The Richmond, Virginia, natives were the only group to peruse the flames of death, which is what they felt like, muggy conditions notwithstanding. Lamb Of God made the night even hotter with a rousing rendition of opener “Memento Mori” as vocalist D. Randall Blythe, guitarists Mark Morton and Willie Adler, bassist John Campbell and drummer Art Cruz finally were able to tour in support of their self-titled album that dropped June 2020 after it had been pushed back due to the lack of touring.

Lamb Of God played on the same day it released the 15th anniversary deluxe edition of Sacrament, not to mention the same night an LOG tribute band was playing Fitzgerald’s in San Antonio. You know, just in case you weren’t able to sweat it out in Austin with the real thing. Blythe and the band were on fire throughout their set (thank goodness not literally, although virtually any moment during their set could’ve resulted in such a calamity). Cruz, formerly of Prong, has stepped in seamlessly after the departure a couple years back of longtime drummer Chris Adler, whose brother Willie Adler continues to churn out riffs on guitar along with Morton.

Blythe referenced his roughly five-week Czech Republic incarceration in 2012-13 for allegedly causing a concertgoer to lose his life after allegedly pushing him off the stage during a 2010 gig upon introducing “512”. The band also shined, in the city sporting the area code of the same number, on “Now You’ve Got Something to Die For,” finale “Redneck” and staple “Laid to Rest” which gave way to the live debut of fellow 2004 track “Remorse Is For the Dead” (ATM footage of the last two here).

Blythe, incidentally, more than dabbles in photography himself and may even appreciate the 145-photo slideshow below. If not, at least you can partake in the gallery as well.

Trivium delivered the goods as the second band on the bill, led as always by singer/guitarist Matt Heafy. The group will drop In the Court of the Dragon on Oct. 8 and offered up first single “Feast of Fire” along with other recent tracks “What the Dead Men Say” and “The Heart From Your Hate.” With guitarist Corey Beaulieu frequently swinging his mane to his riffs, former Battlecross drummer Alex Bent pounding the kit and bassist Paolo Gregoletto manning the four-string, Trivium was a force to be reckoned with in getting the crowd extra amped for the bands to come.

Hatebreed had the honor of opening the festivities. Even though the band that has been around since 1994 was only given 35 minutes, they were fortunate to be on this tour in the first place. Original opener In Flames was confined to its native Sweden due to visa issues, and that fact was not lost on vocalist Jamey Jasta.

The former host of MTV’s “Headbangers Ball 2” who has collaborated with Blythe on the former’s solo records, Jasta fully acknowledged In Flames’ absence and wished them well. But as he concluded: “When you get the call from Megadeth, you drop what you’re doing and get on the bus.” Hatebreed made the most of the opportunity, as evidenced on ATM’s footage of “Tear It Down” and “I Will Be Heard.”

No matter which band was your favorite, no matter the personal and collective bouts of adversity overcome by the artists, the collection of musicians and fans at the G.I.A. in the midst of a pandemic was a victory in and of itself. So after urging fans to be strong and defiant in not allowing the privilege “to be taken away from us,” the final word of the night goes to the Megadeth master himself:

“You may notice I don’t talk much during our shows,” Miustaine said. “I just shut up and play my fucking guitar.” And with that, Megadeth launched into closer “Holy Wars . . . The Punishment Due,” putting a headbanging wrap on what undoubtedly was one of the most mega-fun days any metalhead has had in a year and a half.

Metal Tour of the Year indeed.

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Yngwie the virtuoso puts on a show from the word 'go'

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Yngwie the virtuoso puts on a show from the word 'go'

Three artists and approximately three hours into his socially distanced concert Sunday night at the Tobin Center For the Performing Arts, the man some regard as the greatest guitarist of all time effortlessly strummed a few notes on his right hand. What he did simultaneously with his left provided the turning point of the evening.

In two swift motions, Swedish star Yngwie J. Malmsteen invited the seated crowd spread out among three stories to bum rush the stage, metaphorically telling his fans to fuck Covid and enjoy themselves in the land of the free and home of the brave. Fans didn’t have to be told twice, and the party was officially at its apex. So it was only fitting Malmsteen also played his rendition of the “Star Spangled Banner.”

As always, Malmsteen didn’t disappoint (see 71-photo slideshow below), and not even early technical issues could slow down the maestro. Flicking out guitar picks at a rate faster than people have been getting vaccinated, Malmsteen shone as usual particularly on ATM Facebook Live performances of “Trilogy Suite: Opus 5,” a guitar solo and “Blue.”

Touring in support of Parabellum (Prepare for War), which dropped nine days earlier, Malmsteen delved far back into his catalog, returning to his 1984 mostly instrumental self-titled debut with mainstay “Far Beyond the Sun” and snippets of the rarely played “Evil Eye” (ATM footage of the latter below). As is his custom, Malmsteen opened with the mandatory “Rising Force,” with his entire band that included singer/keyboardist Nick Marino relegated to their own corner. While Malmsteen paraded throughout his set among the other 85 percent of the stage under a slew of stacks not as large in size or number as his 2019 visit to the Vibes Event Center (coverage here), his mastery of the electric and acoustic instruments never ceased to amaze.

With so many albums, hits and instrumentals from which to choose, Malmsteen relegated most of his songs to medleys and/or one or two verses. One such instance slightly confused Marino on 1986 classic “You Don’t Remember, I’ll Never Forget” (ATM footage below). But Marino could hardly be blamed given that Malmsteen ended up singing as much if not more than the lead singer throughout the set and because he was forced to jump from first verse to the third in the blink of an eye.

Although Malmsteen’s fans don’t show up to hear him sing, as he’s done with regularity since 2012’s Spellbound on which he also played drums, bass and keys, he mixed in vocals on new tracks “Wolves at the Door” and “Relentless Fury” plus the 1997 ballad he penned for wife April entitled “Like An Angel” (ATM footage below).

But it was his precision that stole the show, the frequent gazes of his bandmates — which included drummer Brian Wilson donning an S.A. Slayer shirt as he did at the 2019 concert — and an audience featuring San Antonio guitar master Ron Jarzombek and members of Jessikill who also play in the Malmsteen tribute band Sacred Star.

As is his custom, Malmsteen ended with the double whammy of “Black Star,” during which he looked at his watch twice during its signature extended note, and “I’ll See the Light Tonight.” Afterwards, an ugly scene transpired between a fan and security staffer. The fan, in the midst of the many that were still in front of the stage but never in danger of reaching musicians atop the raised platform, addressed Marino by saying, “Thank you for playing that song! I love that song.” At the same time, the security member attempted to shoo patrons toward the exits verbally, but when he placed his hands on the fan, the fan responded, “Don’t touch me!” Some vulgarities ensued with the staffer shoving the fan toward the restroom exit. Moments later, the fan was seen telling his side to Tobin ushers in front of the main entrance.

Images of Eden, meanwhile, was the middle band on the bill and provided a steady dose of uplifting and soothing rock. The quintet played several tracks from new album Angel Born. That included “My Promise,” which vocalist and band founder Gordon Tittsworth dedicated to last week’s passing of Metal Church singer Mike Howe. While meeting fans in the merch area after his set, Tittsworth shared with ATM that after he had fallen ill a couple of years ago, Howe was the first person to check on him.

While introducing “Where Dreams Begin,” Tittsworth revealed that Malmsteen’s “Trilogy” tour in 1986 was his first concert and how surreal it was that he was opening for the guitarist. The good feels continued on 2018 track “Once We Believed” (ATM footage below). Images Of Eden also performed Triumph’s “Fight the Good Fight” (ironically, Malmsteen has an original song on his latest album of the same title).

Springfield, Missouri, quartet Paralandra opened the show energetically and enthusiastically. The band also supported Malmsteen two years ago at the Vibes and continues to churn out rocking singles that have been released a little at a time throughout its tenure. That’s about to change this fall, as singer/guitarist Casandra Carson revealed Paralandra’s first full-length album will be available in October. Carson, a friend of and heavily endorsed by Halestorm’s Lzzy Hale, showed flashes of her amiga but exhibits her own style. She also met with fans of all ages for most of the rest of the night (see slideshow).

Paralandra, which also features Carson’s father Paul on lead guitar with bassist and birthday boy Sawyer Rikard and drummer Dakota Watson, told their own story of Malmsteen’s influence, which can be seen below on ATM’s footage of “Love Will Win.”

It may not have been a raucous stadium of 60,000 people pre-pandemic. But this rare post-Covid national concert in the Alamo City was a boisterous musical spectacle nevertheless. That’s all that mattered to those who came in wearing masks — and exited with horns triumphantly raised in delight.

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Into the Pit: Helloween drummer Dani Loble

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Into the Pit: Helloween drummer Dani Loble

Although he’s been behind the drum kit for veteran German power metal band Helloween since 2005 when he replaced former Accept drummer Stefan Schwarzmann, Swiss-born Dani Loble is still considered The New Guy. And although Helloween brought back original guitarist/vocalist Kai Hansen and Michael Kiske, the singer who performed on the band’s most renowned albums Keeper of the Seven Keys: Part 1 and Part 2, for their massively successful Pumpkins United 2017-18 tour after both had departed the group nearly three decades ago, Loble technically remains the newest member.

And that’s just fine with him. Because Loble’s influence is stamped all over Helloween’s six most recent studio albums and two live DVD/CD packages. That includes the group’s self-titled 16th studio album that dropped June 18 on Nuclear Blast Records.

Armed with a flurry of double bass drum fury always expected from Helloween, the latest album also features catchy choruses sure to incite exuberant jumping in place from European and Latin American fans in particular such as “Best Time” and “Indestructible.” There are all-out rockers in opener “Out For the Glory” and “Robot King,” another epic 12-minute staple in first single “Skyfall” (see video below), and the Spotify version features two bonus songs: “Golden Times” and “Save My Hide.” Some songs feature the three vocalists sharing parts, while Deris and Kiske sing individually on others, making this the most diverse record Helloween has ever recorded.

In addition to the influence and presence of original guitarist Michael Weikath and bassist Markus Grosskopf, longstanding vocalist Andi Deris, Loble and guitarist Sascha Gerstner, the return of Hansen and Kiske answers the prayers of the overwhelming majority of the Helloween universe clamoring for a new album featuring these seven members. Charlie Bauerfeind and Dennis Ward handle co-production duties on the record.

Loble, who has also exhaustingly done his part to tastefully carry on the legacy of the late Ingo Schwichtenberg while bringing his own ideas to the group over those 16 1/2 years, and Helloween plan to tour the world over the next couple of years once pandemic restrictions are evaluated in every city and country and logistics are sorted out. The group already has an early 2022 European trek with Hammerfall scheduled. Will San Antonio eventually be on the map?

Loble graciously discussed these topics and more with ATM on Thursday. Click the video box at the bottom to watch the entire conversation (all photos by Jay Nanda / Alamo True Metal).

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No stopping Corey "MF" Taylor in return to live music at Vibes Event Center

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No stopping Corey "MF" Taylor in return to live music at Vibes Event Center

An established axiom regarding any event held on a stage is that the most powerful person on such a platform is the one holding the microphone. So stood Corey Taylor on Friday night outside Vibes Event Center when, in an effort to elicit appreciation for opening act Cherry Bombs, he referred to the acrobatic musical dance troupe as “a very, very tough act to follow.”

Sure, unlike Cherry Bombs, Taylor did not twirl sticks of fire. He did not climb or dance around a rope with nothing but gravel beneath him. And he most certainly did not shake his moneymaker. Still, Taylor’s declaration practically begged a response along the lines of, “Tough to follow? YOU’RE COREY MOTHERFUCKIN’ TAYLOR!”

The unequaled frontman of Slipknot and Stone Sour said it himself. The $30 T-shirts at the merch table said it. And in case any of the sold-out crowd (albeit less than 100 percent capacity, of course) somehow missed it, the huge LED block letters spelling out his latest solo album CMFT on the stage said it too. For good measure, the exuberant nearby teenager, who frequently yelled the album’s complete title as a way of releasing the 14-plus months of his concert-going life that had been taken away by a pandemic emanating from China, said as much.

To be fair, Taylor’s four separate instances of urging the crowd to “give it up for the Cherry Bombs” were a byproduct of his being bound by (marital) law to do so. A happy wife is a good wife, and Taylor’s is Alicia Taylor, founder and leader of the dance group.

Although Alicia Taylor is more behind the scenes of Cherry Bombs these days compared to the group’s previous visit with Stone Sour inside Vibes Event Center in 2017, the troupe is by no means hurtful on the eyes. This time, however, there was more emphasis on showmanship rather than baring mostly all. In fact, one skit featured three performers covered in jackets while brandishing suitcases (see 68-photo slideshow below).

Alas, warmup acts don’t come much hotter than Cherry Bombs, regardless of the fact they’re dancing to metal hits such as Rammstein’s “Du Hast,” Metallica’s “Wherever I May Roam” and Rob Zombie’s “More Human Than Human.” They served their purpose of segueing into the man who was about to perform his own music with a couple of unexpected covers. Watch the Cherry Bombs in action via ATM’s Facebook Live footage here, here and here.

While Guns N’ Roses keyboardist Dizzy Reed brought his band Hookers & Blow to Sam’s Burger Joint this same evening, Friday’s shows were only the third set of national heavy metal acts to play in the Alamo City this year if you count Trapt with Flaw on March 27 and Tantric on May 15. Prior to that, it was Saliva with David Ellefson of Megadeth last Oct. 30.

Of course, there were noticeable differences from what everyone is accustomed to. General admission standing was set up in roped pods with fans being assigned a numbered lanyard corresponding to their party’s place on the gravel. VIP purchasers sat at tables in front of the stage complete with personal bar service. No moshing. No crowd surfing. Just enthusiastic, but polite, applause and approval with horns tossed in the air.

Had Slipknot been the band on hand, the plastic poles comprising the pods wouldn’t have made it past the first song. Hell, they would’ve been used as makeshift light sabers to bash people’s heads in or been tossed onto the stage. But Taylor is supporting his first solo album, thereby contributing to a different atmosphere. And he certainly wasn’t shy about using it to dominate his set.

Accompanied by Stone Sour guitarist Christian Martucci, guitarist Zach Throne (who, according to “Metalsucks,” provided the singing voice of Greg Brady in “The Brady Bunch Movie”), Prong and sometimes Ministry bassist Jason Christopher and Walls Of Jericho drummer Dustin Schoenhofer, the do-it-all Taylor performed nine of CMFT’s 13 tracks. No professional video filming was allowed, but you can watch ATM Facebook Live footage of latest single “Samantha’s Gone.”

Along with other CMFT tracks such as opener “Hwy 666,” “Black Eyes Blue,” “Meine Lux,” “Culture Head” and “Silverfish” — although arguably its best tune “Everybody Dies On My Birthday” was omitted — Taylor leaned heavily on Stone Sour songs. Of those nine such numbers, four came from 2012’s House of Gold & Bones: Part 1 including “Taciturn,” “The Travelers: Part 1,” “The Travelers: Part 2” and “Tired.” Watch ATM Facebook Live footage of “Made of Scars.”

For those expecting a slew of Slipknot, you would’ve gone home disappointed. Taylor only offered up one track from his masked unit. But he made it count with the rarely played and mostly acoustic “Snuff” from 2008’s All Hope is Gone.

While musicians across the globe are just starting to whet their touring feet again, Taylor was in classic form in musicianship, crowd banter, poignancy and humor.

Taylor reportedly taught himself to play the piano in order to write a song for his wife, which became CMFT’s “Home.” He dedicated it to Alicia “because when she met me, I was in a very dark place, and she saw something worth loving.” As Taylor strummed the introductory notes, he asked the crowd, “Not bad for only having played four years, huh?”

Outdoor shows at Vibes come with a bonus, depending on one’s perspective: passing locomotives. During one such moment, Taylor enthusiastically waved to the conductor mid-verse during “Taciturn.” And while introducing his bandmates, Taylor inadvertently said Christopher was on guitar. After receiving a playful yet sinister sneer from the left-handed bassist, Taylor quipped, “Well, it’s upside down. I couldn’t tell.”

Taylor, who has performed covers by everyone ranging from Chris Isaak to Ronnie James Dio, threw a curveball at the audience with John Cafferty and The Beaver Brown Band’s “On the Dark Side.” He then mixed the final encore of “CMFT Must Be Stopped” with KISS classic “Watching You” (see ATM phone footage below).

As always with Taylor, the energy and positivity was infectious. Rather than lamenting the mandatory absence of moshing, he stressed the importance of how a show like his was a gradual but important step in returning to some sense of normalcy. He then took a page out of Iron Maiden’s book after bidding farewell as the sound system blared the Monty Python theme “Always Look on the Bright Side of Life.”

In these instances of recovery from a worldwide event no one would’ve seen coming in our lifetimes, there may not have been a more apropos way to leave the stage. And San Antonians could be grateful to Taylor, promoters Twin Productions and the Vibes Event Center staff that provided food booths and began overall setup the day before for the opportunity to once again witness one of metal’s most diverse, talented, energetic and vital-to-the-scene musicians America has to offer. It shouldn’t have mattered which rendition of his acts was paying the visit.

Either way, he’s still Corey muthafuckin’ Taylor.

SETLIST: Hwy 666, Meine Lux, Halfway Down, The Travelers: Part 1, Tired, Samantha’s Gone, Silverfish, Song #3, Snuff, Taciturn, Made of Scars, Culture Head, Home, Zzyzx Rd., Black Eyes Blue, Bother, Through Glass, On the Dark Side (John Cafferty & The Beaver Brown Band cover), The Travelers: Part 2/CMFT Must Be Stopped/Watching You (KISS cover)/CMFT Must Be Stopped

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Into the Pit: Esa Holopainen

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Into the Pit: Esa Holopainen

As a co-founder of Finnish progressive band Amorphis, lead guitarist Esa Holopainen has played on every album spanning the band’s 31-year career. That fact is even more impressive considering Amorphis has never taken a hiatus of any sort. Unless, of course, you count the Covid-19 pandemic.

But while the global shutdown forced the cancellation of Amorphis’ planned Alamo City visit to the Rock Box last October, it also afforded the 48-year-old Holopainen the opportunity to work on his first solo album. And for those who think it would be an all-instrumental affair, well, think again.

Holopainen’s self-titled debut, Silver Lake by Esa Holopainen, drops May 28 via Nuclear Blast Records. The record features nine tunes, eight of which are sung by a combined seven guest vocalists. Click the link in bold to see who they are, and witness a pair of them in action with Holopainen via the new videos below.

Then click the video box at the bottom to watch our exclusive interview from today.

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Into the Pit: Burning Witches

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Into the Pit: Burning Witches

Having formed in 2015 in Switzerland, all-female quintet Burning Witches has accomplished more in six years of existence than some bands do in twice that span. But they’re not trying to reinvent the wheel. And they’re not coming across merely as a group attempting to empower young girls and adolescent women to shoot for their dreams, especially of the musical variety.

Burning Witches simply want to rock.

They’ve done so splendidly on their self-titled debut from 2017 and 2018’s Hexenhammer. Following the latter’s release, original members Romana Kalkuhl (guitars), Jeanine Grob (bass) and Lala Frischknecht (drums) found themselves without a vocalist. Enter current singer Laura Guldemond, whose presence helped spur 2020 follow-up Dance With the Devil to their first charting positions in Germany and the U.S. The Circle of Five EP and an acoustic sessions soon followed, paving the way for new second guitarist Larissa Ernst to join the fold.

Now with their circle solidified, Burning Witches is set to release fourth full-length The Witch of the North via Nuclear Blast Records on May 28. As was the case with the majority of their vinyl efforts, this record is produced by original singer/bassist Marcel “Schmier” Schirmer of German thrashers Destruction and features a steady dose of rockers, riffs and a ballad that put band members over the top when we discussed it today.

It also continues in Burning Witches’ tradition of closing its albums with a bonus-track cover song. This time, it’s a crunchy rendition of 1987 title track Hall of the Mountain King that pierces the ears. Burning Witches brought in Savatage guitarist Christopher Caffery (2019 ATM interview here) to revisit the solos for some extra oomph. Furthermore, the album’s cover artwork was done by Claudio Bergamin, who drew Judas Priest’s Firepower.

Although the Covid-19 pandemic derailed Burning Witches’ planned tour last year with another one of their prior guest cover musicians — Manowar co-founder and guitarist Ross “The Boss” Friedman — the ladies are gearing up to unleash their coven on the metal masses. Time will tell if the U.S., and San Antonio in particular, will receive a chance to witness the group in person.

To tide fans over until that time arrives, click on the new videos from the forthcoming album below, then watch today’s entire Alamo True Metal chat with Lala and Larissa.

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'Into the Pit:' David Ellefson & Jeff Scott Soto

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'Into the Pit:' David Ellefson & Jeff Scott Soto

If there’s one iota of positivity resulting from an unforeseeable pandemic that — no pun intended — virtually shut down the music and metal scene as we know it going on 14 months, it’s that some projects, albums and collaborations that may not have ever taken place have planted their seeds. One such undertaking finds Megadeth bassist David Ellefson and renowned vocalist Jeff Scott Soto teaming up for the soon-to-be unveiled Ellefson-Soto.

Despite the Covid-19 stranglehold on society, the Big-4-of-thrash bass musician found his way to San Antonio last Oct. 30 (coverage here) in support of cover album No Cover that features a slew of guests including Dangerous Toys vocalist and longtime Austin resident Jason McMaster, for which they shot a video the day prior for AC/DC’s “Riff Raff.” Prior to that, Ellefson brought his Basstory tour to Fitzgerald’s in 2018 (coverage and interview here). Soto also found his way to the Alamo City in 2018 with Trans-Siberian Orchestra (coverage here).

Ellefson and Megadeth are nearly complete with their follow-up to 2016’s Dystopia and have again rescheduled their headlining tour with Lamb Of God, Trivium and In Flames including Friday, Aug. 20 at Germania Insurance Amphitheater in Austin (tickets here). Soto, meanwhile, released solo album Wide Awake (In My Dreamland) last November and is fresh off two studio albums and a live symphonic recording with supergroup Sons Of Apollo. Ellefson’s solo group and Sons Of Apollo share former Guns N’ Roses guitarist Ron “Bumblefoot” Thal (ATM interview here), while SOA also features bassist Billy Sheehan and drummer Mike Portnoy of The Winery Dogs and renowned keyboardist Derek Sherinian.

To tide fans over before hearing the forthcoming Ellefson-Soto songs, the duo brought in vocalist Rick Hughes of Quebec band Sword (not to be confused with The Sword out of Austin) for a quarantined version of Riot’s “Swords & Tequila” (watch below). The video, which also features Andy Martongelli on lead and rhythm guitars and Paolo Caridi on drums, proved to be the perfect launching pad for Ellefson and Soto to go “Into the Pit” with ATM on Wednesday for a Zoom chat that spanned a smorgasbord of elements of their respective careers. That included a dip into their movie endeavors, with Soto marking 20 years of his involvement with the Mark Wahlberg film “Rock Star” and Ellefson looking forward to the October release of his horror documentary “Dwellers” with actor Drew Fortier (trailer here)

Click the sound widget below to listen to our entire conversation.

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'Into the Pit:' George Lynch

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'Into the Pit:' George Lynch

As the electric virtuoso behind each of the most well-known Dokken and Lynch Mob albums the past four decades, George Lynch etched his name in guitar greatness long ago. As he’s grown older, Lynch has also ballooned his contributions to the metal scene in a plethora of side projects, supergroups and solo material.

Lynch’s latest endeavor finds him reuniting with longtime Dokken bassist Jeff Pilson and his former Lynch Mob and current Warrant vocalist Robert Mason on the sophomore effort for The End Machine. And while the group’s self-titled 2019 debut included Lynch’s longtime Dokken, Lynch Mob (and even 1979 outfit Xciter) drummer in “Wild” Mick Brown, the forthcoming record sees the retired Brown give way to his brother Steve Brown on the kit. The 12-song offering Phase2, which features a rockin’ video for “Blood and Money” (watch below), will drop April 9 on Frontier Records.

Lynch, 66, discussed the record along with his Dokken and Lynch Mob past, the future of his undertakings, his passion for crafting Mr. Scary guitars — named after his renowned 1987 instrumental on Dokken’s Back for the Attack album— and reflected on several significant events in his career and within the rock scene today for Alamo True Metal. Click below to watch one of the classic videos in which he participated, the Hear N’ Aid project, referenced during our chat.

Click here to watch our previous interview that also featured then-Lynch Mob vocalist Oni Logan in 2015, and click the sound widget below to hear today’s conversation in its entirety.

The renowned guitar virtuoso goes 1-on-1 to discuss the forthcoming sophomore album from The End Machine called "Phase2" with his former Dokken and Lynch Mob mates, his passion for crafting guitars, the 35-year anniversary of the Hear N' Aid all-star project, some of his numerous side groups, reforming as Dokken in 2016, remembrances of the late Eddie Van Halen and more (ATM photo: Jay Nanda - 2016)

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Plethora of bands play on to put 'End of Days' to pandemic-infused world

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Plethora of bands play on to put 'End of Days' to pandemic-infused world

In a year that has seen more concerts rescheduled for 2021 than performed in 2020, one San Antonio promotional group and several bands spit in the face of the Covid-19 pandemic Friday and said enough was enough. And some of those artists weren’t exactly slouches.

Billed as “End of Days,” a Halloween Eve program that was actually two years in the making was finally undertaken, and pulled off, headlined by Saliva. It also featured the eponymous band of Megadeth bassist David Ellefson, A Killer’s Confession (fronted by former Mushroomhead vocalist Waylon Reavis) and The Crowned along with various local and regional bands. The brainchild of Saliva drummer Paul Crosby and Nathaniel Villareal of promotional group Anthem Entertainment, “End of Days” sought to bring live music back to the people of the San Antonio music scene in a year unlike any in our lifetimes.

Mission accomplished. Were there glitches and hiccups? Of course. This is 2020 after all. But while national tours continue to be pushed back into next year and local bars just reopened at partial capacity the previous weekend after a 7 1/2-month shutdown, Anthem Entertainment and the bands on its bill did something many thought would prove impossible and/or canceled.

While the original plan was to have Sunset Station host the extravaganza with local and regional bands such as Last Battle, Relent, and 2020 Wacken Metal Battle state winners Hanna Barakat from Austin, the venue was switched 48-72 hours prior to the gig to the Anthem School of Music plaza along Interstate-10. Further, several bands were booted off the bill and replaced by the likes of teen thrashers Exitium from Houston, Magg Dylan and Layne’s Calling. While Villareal declined to get into specifics about the venue change, he did tell Alamo True Metal that “five or six bands” had to be let go due to “poor ticket sales.”

“They had 120 days to do something,” Villareal acknowledged, adding that San Antonio outfit Terror Form did the opposite and slightly improved its originally scheduled time slot to 4 p.m. by virtue of its preshow sale of tickets. Villareal also added by night’s end that 478 bystanders had come through the gates throughout the gig that lasted into Halloween morning before packing up to finish its trifecta of shows Saturday in Slidell, Louisiana, and Sunday in suburban Houston.

In a city that sports several metal promotional companies aimed at bringing live shows to town but that also often finds some of those outlets spewing assorted vitriol toward one another via social media and behind the scenes, Anthem Entertainment is the relative newcomer to the party. Figuring hey, you’ve gotta start somewhere, Anthem’s initial foray into the local scene was to host shows inside Rolling Oaks Mall. A couple of Friday’s local bands, Ammo For My Arsenal and Pigweed, were among those that played the shopping center 12 months ago, stuck by Anthem’s side, and were rewarded for it Friday (coverage here).

In addition to facing the mostly baseless hate from its peers, Anthem of course had to contend with the majority of the metal public choosing to remain cautious by not attending concerts thanks to Covid. And while roughly only half of the 478 wore masks, and pre-planned food trucks on site didn’t materialize, Anthem compensated by offering Bring Your Own Beer to patrons free of charge, folding chairs for those who spent $25 on tickets, general admission by the stage for those who spent $35 and plenty of space to congregate or spread out within the plaza’s parking lot. Enforcement of who could stand close to the stage, particularly as the night wore on, was non-existent however given the event was devoid of security.

As for the bands that did play, they were taking their own risks by appearing at the event. But they were also taking a stand that their way of life, and life in general, cannot simply come to a complete halt because of an invisible virus. Watch the majority of bands in action via ATM’s exclusive footage below and Facebook Live footage of Terror Form, Exitium, Kritickill, The Crowned, A Killer’s Confession and Ellefson.

Other highlights that can also be seen via the 131-photo slideshow below included:

  • Reavis becoming the funniest entertainer of the day, belying his group’s name of A Killer’s Confession. He implored the crowd to come to the front by saying, “We won’t give you Covid, but (guitarist) Tommy (Church) will give you chlamydia.” Reavis also called for a Ric Flair “Wooooo!” and found time to join Pigweed for their cover of Sepultura’s “Roots Bloody Roots.” A Killer’s Confession was co-produced by Ellefson vocalist Thom Hazaert and initially on Ellefson’s EMP Label Group, so Reavis said they’d play several songs from 2017 debut Unbroken as a thank-you to Ellefson for giving them their start

  • Singer/drummer Marc Coronado of The Crowned joined Hazaert on finale “Peace Sells . . . But Who’s Buying?” (see below). The Crowned is going on tour with Ellefson in a couple of weeks. The concert, meanwhile, was a miracle of another sorts for Hazaert, who went into cardiac arrest in July during Ellefson’s recording of covers album No Cover, several tunes of which were performed Friday including “Eat the Rich” by Krokus and “Wasted” from Def Leppard’s first album. The disc’s release was pushed from Oct. 2 to Nov. 20, coinciding with Ellefson’s and The Crowned’s upcoming tour. Ellefson’s band was in San Antonio since Wednesday shooting a pair of videos with Dangerous Toys vocalist Jason McMaster, though the longtime Austin resident and Corpus Christi native did not appear Friday night

  • Members of Kingdom Collapse were on hand including David Work and Jonathan Norris, both former guitar mates in now-defunct group The Taking. Norris now handles lead-vocal duties in Kingdom Collapse, and he jumped up on stage to join Saliva on “Always”

  • Kritickill’s vocalist complimented Pigweed on more than one occasion, saying he hated having to follow them because they kicked so much ass. Not to worry given that Kritickill easily had the most devoted following. The crowd from their town of Killeen, Texas, thinned out when their set finished, with many of their fans not sticking around for Ellefson and even fewer waiting out for Saliva, which went on at approximately 11:30 p.m. in temperatures that dipped into the low 50s and high 40s

  • Raise your hand if you had former Guns N’ Roses guitarist Ron “Bumblefoot” Thal as the only musician who would wear a face covering while performing. Now a member of Ellefson’s band, Thal donned a bandana throughout his playing of the double neck. Listen to our interview from February 27, 2017, here and check out ATM’s coverage of his solo performance from that December’s show at the Rock Box here. Do the same with ATM’s exclusive interview and coverage of Ellefson’s “Basstory” visit in October 2018 here.

  • Exitium, teen thrashers from Houston and one of the last-minute replacements, was the only band to mention the recent death of Eddie Van Halen, with guitarist Adam Vogt performing his rendition of “Eruption”

    Did everything go off without a hitch? Come on, this is 2020, remember? With only one more song left on the evening, Saliva’s “Click Click Boom” was left to put the icing on the cake only to have the power fizzle. No matter, it merely resulted in a five-minute delay before Saliva finished off the night in style. Considering the numerous power outages that have plagued the concert scene at larger shows in recent memory, this one was just a blip on the radar and was eventually overcome.

    When all was said and done, the bands, Anthem Entertainment and fans on hand had persevered through it all to defy the odds and take part in a show that other promoters, fans and artists may have shied away from — and undoubtedly are kicking themselves today for having done so.

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Into the Pit: Damon Johnson

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Into the Pit: Damon Johnson

Damon Johnson is one of those rare do-it-all musicians who has lived out his dream in various ways with an assortment of marquee talent. Known fairly equally as the co-founder and frontman of 1990s group Brother Cane along with his time as guitarist for Alice Cooper, Thin Lizzy and the latter’s spin-off outfit Black Star Riders, Johnson has also penned songs for Stevie Nicks, Carlos Santana, Sammy Hagar, Steven Tyler and worked with country superstar Faith Hill.

Not a bad conglomerate of stardom with which to be associated.

Now having resumed his solo career, Johnson is allowing himself and a well-known fellow guitarist and friend to have a little fun during this hellacious pandemic-riddled year. And he’s inviting everyone along for the ride.

Johnson and Judas Priest guitarist Richie Faulkner will perform a live stream “Tribute to Thin Lizzy” at 7 p.m. Central time this Friday (8 p.m. EST, 5 p.m. PST). Starting at $10, tickets and bundle packages can be purchased here. Just as importantly, fans can watch the event up to Sunday night if they are unable to catch it live or simply want to rock out to it more than once. Considering the dearth of live shows in 2020, several watch parties might not be such a bad idea.

The 56-year-old Johnson, who performed in the Alamo City in 2018 and 2014 with Black Star Riders — the former while opening for Judas Priest and Saxon — left the band featuring vocalist Ricky Warwick and longtime Thin Lizzy guitarist Scott Gorham shortly afterwards in order to concentrate on his next solo album. He will unveil the title track to Battle Lessons, a rockin’ tune from start to finish, at the end of the Thin Lizzy tribute that will include his band The Get Ready. Johnson also has a few other surprises up his sleeve during the live stream and in the coming weeks.

The Alabama native graciously discussed it all Tuesday from his house in Nashville, Tennessee, and even tossed in a personal story of the frontman he’ll be paying homage to once again, the late Phil Lynott. Click the widget below to hear our entire conversation (all photos minus flyer by Jay Nanda).

The accomplished songwriter and guitarist for the likes of Thin Lizzy, Black Star Riders and Alice Cooper, who co-founded '90s group Brother Cane, goes "Into the Pit" to discuss this Friday's Thin Lizzy tribute live stream he'll be doing with Judas Priest guitarist Richie Faulkner, which will include the debut of his forthcoming solo-album title track "Battle Lessons." Damon also talks about the album he made with a supergroup that never got released, gives a taste of deep cuts he plans on playing during the tribute and how he can come to your house -- or mine (ATM photo by Jay Nanda: March 1, 2018)

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'Into the Pit:' Onslaught guitarist Nige Rockett

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'Into the Pit:' Onslaught guitarist Nige Rockett

As the co-founder and lone remaining original member of British thrash outfit Onslaught, guitarist Nige Rockett has seen and lived it all through three decades, several singers and seven albums of his band.

Although Onslaught has never reached cult status of thrash metal’s Big 4 (Metallica, Slayer, Megadeth, Anthrax) or even of a secondary four of Testament, Overkill, Exodus and Death Angel, Rockett’s group is about to unleash a record of anti-religion lyrical imagery that makes Slayer’s 2006 tune “Cult” appear Taylor Swift-ish by comparison.

With blatant statements that make up “Religiousuicide,” one of nine tracks comprising the forthcoming release of seventh album Generation Antichrist on Aug. 7 via AFM Records such as

Sacrament or sacrifice, holier than thou

Anti cult or Antichrist, messiah take a bow

Hanging on the holy cross, they named the preacher twice

Religion takes it up the ass, it’s Jesus fucking Christ

it’s obvious Rockett and Onslaught have taken their message to a whole ‘nother level in 2020. One may have thought that impossible for a band that’s already put out songs such as “66 fucking 6.”

Generation Antichrist is the first album to feature new vocalist Dave Garnett, who took over for veteran singer Sy Keeler after Onslaught’s appearance in 2019 on the 70000 Tons of Metal cruise. Rockett, meanwhile, has also put out Onslaught albums with other singers, including in 1989 with Grim Reaper frontman Steve Grimmett (2019 ATM interview here). In fact, three of Onslaught’s current members — guitarist Wayne Dorman, drummer James Perry and Garnett — have joined the group, which Rockett formed in 1983, within the past three years.

Keeler departed Onslaught in late April, well after Covid-19 struck the world and halted live concerts. So even though he appears in the 2019 video below for “A Perfect Day to Die,” which was dedicated to the late Lemmy Kilmister and Motorhead, Garnett came on board and had three weeks to learn and/or re-record all nine tracks that will appear on Generation Antichrist, including that one. Pre-order the album here.

Track listing:

  • 1. Rise to Power 

  • 2. Strike Fast Strike Hard 

  • 3. Bow Down To The Clowns 

  • 4. Generation Antichrist 

  • 5. All Seeing Eye 

  • 6. Addicted To The Smell Of Death 

  • 7. Empires Fall 

  • 8. Religiousuicide 

  • 9. A Perfect Day To Die 

Rockett, who has also been the architect of Power From Hell (1985), The Force (1986), In Search Of Sanity (1989), Killing Peace (2007), Sounds Of Violence (2011) and 2013’sVI , graciously spoke with Alamo True Metal yesterday about the new record and a variety of other topics from his home in England. Click the sound widget below to hear our entire conversation.

The co-founder and lone remaining original guitarist goes "Into the Pit" from England to discuss the group's forthcoming Aug. 7 release of seventh album "Generation Antichrist" that features new vocalist Dave Garnett, the reason his lyrics are blatantly anti-religion, why things stopped working out with former singer Sy Keeler, how he's coping with Covid-19, whether he keeps in touch with one-time vocalist Steve Grimmett of Grim Reaper and more (photo courtesy Adrenaline PR)

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Covid-19 & 'The Heavy Metal Capital' Part 3: The Return

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Covid-19 & 'The Heavy Metal Capital' Part 3: The Return

It may have been two-plus months since concerts small and large were shut down across the world. But the return of live music this past Memorial Day weekend may as well have been two years.

Go ahead. Let out a big sigh of relief, toss your horns into the sky and bang your head. Sunday’s 5th annual Memorial Day Metalfest at Fitzgerald’s, normally a national calling of bands that this time was a condensed version featuring 10 San Antonio artists playing to 25 percent capacity, was literally music to the ears of those in attendance.

But it also may have provided more questions regarding the scene.

Through the tireless efforts of Fitzgerald’s co-owners Sharon and Karen Perkins, bar staff and FocusStar Media promoter Matt Louderback, live metal reigned supreme once again. A night after hosting cover band Black Molly, the venue’s indoor and outdoor metalfest marked the official return of original-artist music. And while preparations included booking bands, dealing with possible cancellations, figuring how much staff to have on hand and abiding by city and governor-mandated rules for reopening, a tornado warning and flood watches lasting into the morning threw additional curveballs into the equation for good measure four bands into the night.

As such, ATM’s coverage was temporarily stopped and had every intention of resuming on a second trip to the bar only to be halted by partial closures of highways due to cars being stalled. So with apologies to headliners The Crowned plus Even In Death, Requiem Rust, Decimate, Wrathtongue and 2019 Wacken Metal Battle Regional winners Vernon Of Persia, coverage was limited to a 35-photo slideshow and videos here and below of Pigweed, All Stories End, Hijo De Puta and openers Dioxis.

Although the number of those wearing protective masks could be counted on one hand out of roughly 40 people for the first half of the evening that swelled to what was supposed to be an indoor capacity of 77 and “unlimited” outdoor patronage by the time Pigweed played inside during the storm, the evening was as successful as could be expected considering the Covid-19 era in which live music finds itself. Interestingly enough, Pigweed, a group of seven members, played with only four before a fifth joined his mates on backup vocals for final tune “Fake For Now” (see ATM coverage below). One of the missing members, it was acknowledged to ATM, was absent due to his concerns with contracting the virus.

So where do we go from here?

Fitzgerald’s has more events scheduled including Blackened (Metallica tribute act) this Saturday plus a $7 gathering Saturday, June 13 featuring Bridge 13, Saving Jackie, My Madness and We Inertia.

Other venues, such as Bonds 007 Rock Bar on 450 Soledad St., are slowly working their way back while trying to meet all regulations to a tee. Rush tribute act Exit Stage Left is scheduled for Friday, June 19; a package headlined by Austin act Bury The Rod with Athanatos, I Am Heir from McAllen, Nevallum and Astray Thru Eternity on Saturday, June 20; and Pigweed’s return Saturday, July 18 with Waking The Sleeper, Saving Jackie, Ammo For My Arsenal, Meridian, Dose Makes The Poison and Lonestar Massacre (see ATM’s Concert Listings for details).

“For our capacity, we can have 57 people in the bar,” says Bonds co-owner Dirce Eguia, whose two-story establishment offered a trial opening downstairs only last weekend but has not hosted a live act since the shutdown. “When you space the tables and chairs 6 feet apart and can have no more than six at a table, it only leaves chairs for 54 people. Everyone is supposed to have a seat, so we can't even get to 57. When they raise the limit to 50 or even 100 percent, we will be in the same boat. Until this changes, we cannot increase. There are so many rules. It requires extra staff. At a time when we want to keep expenses low, we are having to add for extra labor and disinfecting supplies.”

And what about national tours that are supposed to hit the Alamo City this year? Some have been postponed. Others such as As I Lay Dying with Whitechapel plus Ministry with KMFDM and Front Line Assembly have been rescheduled for early 2021.

International acts Krokus and Steve Grimmett’s Grim Reaper, both of which were scheduled to play the second installment of the Tierra Sagrada festival Sept. 19 at Sunken Garden Theater, have canceled their tours due to traveling restrictions and risks. Replacement acts are being sought, including the challenge of finding a worthy headliner to replace Krokus for a fest that already includes American artists Dokken, Riot V, Lita Ford and local openers Jessikill, according to Din Productions promoter Alfred Mejia, to avoid canceling outright.

Krokus’ appearance was to be part of its farewell tour, which begs the question: what’s going to happen with the older bands’ concerts? Although KISS played its San Antonio farewell last Sept. 8 at the AT&T Center, area fans are supposed to have another opportunity to see them Oct. 1 at the Germania Insurance Amphitheater in Austin. But if cancellations and postponements for KISS’ scheduled 3-year trek and other acts last into the new year, might we have already seen these older artists for the final time? Same with Judas Priest, which was originally planning on kicking off its 50th anniversary tour here at the 2020 River City Rockfest until the festival was axed for good last year, pre-Coronavirus. But now, even The Priest’s scheduled Oct. 6 gig at Freeman Coliseum is in jeopardy.

The concert scene may have returned last week. But it’s still more of a crawl than a sprint, let alone a walk. As with most things, time will tell whether the comeback continues to grow. Or whether a spike in Covid-19 cases, particularly during the fall and Texas “winter,” forces a second, perhaps larger, shutdown from live music.

“All we can do,” says Syrus guitarist John Castilleja, “is stay safe and see what way the wind blows.”

In case you missed them: Part 1: The Shutdown; Part 2: The Anticipation

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Covid-19 & 'The Heavy Metal Capital' Part 2: The anticipation

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Covid-19 & 'The Heavy Metal Capital' Part 2: The anticipation

The future is unclear regarding large-scale concerts. Perhaps meet-and-greets will come with a bottle of hand sanitizer or a mask with the artist's logo, if they continue to happen at all. Either way, Covid-19 is determined to be here to stay. So how do humans in the music scene combat the Coronavirus?

Do we rush back to freedom in public with no concern for the health of others? Do we take things gradually or ignore the opportunity to return altogether until it's deemed 100 percent safe to do so? Do metalheads practice the defiance and rebelliousness our music stands for in times of adversity and make their own rules?

The turning point toward abnormal in this country, arguably, came March 11 when Utah Jazz All-Star forward Rudy Gobert tested positive, causing that night's game at the Oklahoma City Thunder to be canceled moments before tip-off. The NBA shut down its season later that evening, and it was revealed Gobert touched several reporter microphones in jest earlier that week at one of the team's pressers. The remaining sports leagues were knocked down like dominoes, and the concert scene soon followed.

Since the state finals of the Wacken Metal Battle on March 14 in Austin that saw Austin band Hanna Barakat defeat five artists to advance to the national finals May 9 in Los Angeles, live music and bar socializing has disappeared and is only now beginning to crawl again. The national final and Wacken festival in Germany as a whole were no exception, denying not only Hanna Barakat the possible opportunity to perform at metal’s largest annual festival before roughly 80,000 but causing a ripple effect in general.

"After the Wacken Battle, we took a few weeks off to see how the virus closures would pan out," says Valkyrie vocalist Joe Gregory, whose band advanced out of the Feb. 8 regionals at Fitzgerald's, came up short against Hanna Barakat at the state competition, and last week released single "Submissive Decay" and has a video shoot scheduled for it at the end of June. "With that momentum, we’re going to keep writing new music."

Valkyrie was also supposed to play in Chicago on May 15. Drummer Rich Gomez, who like bassist Albert Kelly plies most of his musical trade with Under No One but was recruited to round out Valkyrie's lineup with Gregory and original guitarist Scott Stine, acknowledges he's still having a hard time adjusting.

"I've been out of retirement for over six years playing with Under No One," Gomez says. "Rehearsals every weekend was pretty much a normal routine. We didn’t schedule too many live shows, but the option was always there. (Valkyrie) would get together almost every Tuesday for rehearsal, (but) now going on three-plus months, everything has stopped! It’s just hard to grasp. My day job has been on a 24-hour around-the-clock schedule. It was a big adjustment for a while, (I) had to rearrange my studio office since my wife is working from home, so my studio became her office. I am pretty much stuck in the garage with a makeshift workspace. It took me almost a month after my last live show to get a kit set up where I could at least get some practice in whenever I got a break from work."

In the 2 1/2 months since the Wacken Metal Battle, everyone has been itching to get back. But while the number of Covid-19 cases slightly increases daily in Bexar County and surrounding areas, the realization that the job force and economy's reopening must get underway sooner than later has tested not only our checking and savings accounts but also our mental fortitude. Easter saw church services being conducted virtually. Now, with this weekend's Memorial Day being the second major holiday since the outbreak and the first to mark the road to recovery, albeit at 25 percent capacity in bars and 50 percent in restaurants, the eagerness in many is bursting at the seams.

"At first it was partying and doing acoustic videos online, but as stuff got worse, it became quite clear -- now is the time to get shit done," says the namesake, singer and guitarist of Jason Kane & The Jive. "We've been writing new songs like crazy and will start releasing singles and new videos for our page of livestream videos and live shows for however long this lasts and continue to do so even after this passes. This definitely put a kabosh on (our) upcoming tour to Chicago and tours planned throughout the year and our CD release for our third album Soggy Noggin, but we're still pushing the new album online like crazy. The rock stops for no one."

One of the hardest working artists in San Antonio since prior to 2008, The Heroine has had to weather the shutdown and the challenges the virus has brought forth while trying to transition to a return to playing live without knowing when that will be.

"One of our band members works in close proximity to people who are susceptible to spread this disease, and we have those in the band that are expecting, so we have pretty much shut everything down until we feel a little bit safer to be around each other," The Heroine bassist Wes "Guhlie" Vargulish says. "Our last show was on Feb 20. This has been the longest period of time that we have gone without playing a show, or rehearsing, for that matter. We’ve already had to cancel tours in June (and) July, and August is very questionable as it’s scheduled for the West Coast. In that regard, it’s been a little demoralizing. So for a band like ours that thrives on playing locally and touring, it’s been a real test of our resolve as a band. The positive side of all this is that it’s gotten everyone the ability to spend more time with their family. A lot of people don’t realize what the wives and family go through when dealing with a band. There’s a lot of frustration involved because they have to deal with the missed date nights, birthdays etc. I think once we get on the other side of this shutdown, I feel most people will appreciate live music a little more. Honestly, I think this magnifies the importance of live music; it’s such a cathartic thing."

A cautious, arguably realistic, approach is palpable in some.

"We will need to have a door person to count and sanitize hands of each person upon entrance per city's recommendations," says Dirce Eguia, co-owner of Bonds 007 Rock Bar downtown with her husband John Eguia. "The venue may open when we get to 50 percent, but only for local shows. At only 25 percent, we could only have 30 people plus our staff and bands, which is not enough to break even. Tribute shows will be canceled and not booked until we are at 100 percent. Who knows when that will be? We applied and received the payroll and disaster loans from the government. It will only be enough to pay my managers and 2 months rent. Our managers are still working -- cleaning, painting. The scary part is the reopen. With the fear that everyone has regarding the virus, it will be slow getting people out again. I would guess it may be 9 months after opening, just to get back to normal. Not sure how we will survive, but if anyone can do it, it will be Bonds. We have great regular customers that will eventually come back. Bands are really wanting to play. We are cancelling them as we go along, just hoping to finally say, 'Let's do the show.' "

Some emphasize the optimistic side of the spectrum.

"I’m very thankful to still be able to teach guitar via Skype and eliminate driving," says Aeternal Requiem singer, guitarist and band founder Austin Zettner, whose group recently released a documentary of its travels to Finland to record Rise with producer Anssi Kippo. "The extra time at home allows me to focus like never before. I hurt for the venues and gigging musicians whose livelihoods have been more affected than mine. I’m hoping that we come out of this soon, more hungry and inspired for great music than before!"

Bobby Jarzombek, drummer for Fates Warning and Sebastian Bach, says an eight-week North American tour with Bach had already been rescheduled for October and November before its original start date of March 13 had been axed.

"Sebastian's agent put it together that quickly," says Jarzombek, who played a local gig last night with Robert Demel at Max's Roadhouse in Spring Branch. "Instead of 33 shows, it's 31 shows, so we recovered just about all the dates if it still happens in October. So that's still the 'if' thing. I started on the Fates Warning record in late November after I got home from the Sebastian tour that we had previously done in 2019. I was able to finish that record and get a decent sized chunk of money for it, you know, at least something to where I'm not being killed right now like some people are -- (the ones that are) playing live music exclusively or didn't have anything else. But still, I'm not in a great position by any means."

Fates Warning singer and fellow San Antonio native Ray Alder has lived in Spain, one of the hardest-hit nations, for a few years. He slept in a recording studio for two weeks while completing vocals for the group's upcoming, as yet untitled, album.

"From what he tells me, they put restrictions on people in a vehicle," Jarzombek says of Alder's nation of residence. "You could have two people in a vehicle at one time if one of them was a child and the person riding, but not, like, two adults. Same with people walking down the street. If a mother was walking a child, you could do that. Or a father. But other than that, it had to be one person walking down the street to the store."

Even the old saying, or Cinderella song, "Don't Know What You Got (Till It's Gone)" applies for some.

"I really do miss all the live music. I had no idea it was that much a part of my life," says Wall Of Soul guitarist and The Edge Rock Radio concert photographer Allan Linkous. "No rehearsal, no shows. Had to cancel a few. Luckily, Wall Of Soul doesn't rely on that small bit of money to survive. We got signed to an independent label at the end of last year. I haven't really taken many photos of anything lately. Wall Of Soul has a show on June 13 in Houston. Let's see if that happens."

Covid-19 has also brought out numerous tales of touching moments in the midst of surviving a pandemic, particularly among frontline workers. Even those such instances have affected the metal community. Tim "Ripper" Owens, vocalist of K.K.’s Priest, A New Revenge, Charred Walls Of The Damned, The Three Tremors, Spirits Of Fire and formerly of Judas Priest, Iced Earth and Yngwie Malmsteen who last played here two years ago with Dio Disciples in Live Oak, saw girlfriend and paramedic Leilani Williams-LeMonier leave their Ohio home for the nation's Covid-19 epicenter of New York. She returned after 42 days, and Owens' cell-phone video capturing the emotional reaction of her three children was featured on "ABC World News Tonight with David Muir." Ironically, Muir referred to the unidentified Owens as “the voice” behind that clip (the ABC News version can be seen on Owens’ Twitter account).

Although each passing day brings a date with the unknown for everyone, the metal scene is doing all it can to prepare, even brace for, what it’s diving into. Because it has to try. For the community. For our sanity. For the survival of those directly impacted economically. And so tonight at Fitzgerald's, the Memorial Day Metalfest scheduled for 5 p.m. will mark the unofficial original live-music start to when phrases such as "social distancing," "the new normal" and "virtual reality" will be kicked in the ass and sent straight to the abyss.

"The bands that survived this storm have leaned to be more resilient, more creative and more accessible to their fans," says Sean Nations, vocalist for Metalfest artist Even In Death. "Fans have peeked behind the curtain and hopefully come to know the band better. The strong and focused will find ways to overcome!”

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Into the Pit: Tesla vocalist Jeff Keith

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Into the Pit: Tesla vocalist Jeff Keith

For those who firmly believe 1986 was the best year for metal album releases, there’s no denying Tesla was a big reason. Within a calendar period that yielded timeless gems such as Master of Puppets, Peace Sells . . . But Who’s Buying?, To Hell With the Devil, Dancing Undercover and Slippery When Wet, bands such as Cinderella and Poison unleashed their popular debuts as well.

Tesla did the same but with one major caveat: they weren’t supposed to be lumped into the glam-metal category. Nevertheless, Mechanical Resonance shot Tesla to the conscience of rockers and metalheads on the strength of MTV hit “Modern Day Cowboy” whether they were in their hometown of Sacramento, California, on the Sunset Strip of Hollywood or here in San Antonio. Their second effort The Great Radio Controversy defied the dreaded sophomore jinx and was a bigger success thanks to the ballad “Love Song.”

So what in the heck was Tesla doing by fixing something that wasn’t broke when their third album ended up being a live acoustic release? Flourishing, that’s what.

To say Five Man Acoustical Jam was a gamble that paid off would be an understatement. The recording that combined hits from the first two albums plus covers such as The Grateful Dead’s “Truckin’ “ and The Beatles’ “We Can Work It Out” spawned the smash cover of “Signs” by Five Man Electrical Band.

Not bad for a band known as City Kidd that changed its name during the recording of its first album (note to millennials: Tesla is named after inventor and electrical engineer Nikola Tesla, not an electric vehicle).

Fast forward 34 years, and original members in vocalist Jeff Keith, guitarist Frank Hannon, bassist/keyboardist Brian Wheat, drummer Troy Luccketta and 14-year member and guitarist Dave Rude have marked three decades of that effort by releasing Five Man London Jam on March 27. Recorded on June 12, 2019, at The Beatles’ famed Abbey Road Studios, the record offers up a variety from its 1990 acoustical predecessor plus tracks ranging from 1991’s Psychotic Supper to last year’s Shock.

But it wasn’t always fun and fame for Tesla starting out. Keith recalled many lazy days and crazy nights getting booed offstage during their first tour when he discussed a variety of topics with Alamo True Metal on Thursday. Click the widget below to hear our entire conversation, and check out a few videos past and present plus photos of Keith in action over the years from the Alamodome and Aztec Theatre.

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Into the Pit: Ron Keel

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Into the Pit: Ron Keel

Whether he helped metalheads in the ‘80s realize we had the right to rock, or delved into country music while he lived in Nashville, Tennessee, or continues nowadays for his right to Southern rock, Ron Keel has always put his heart and soul into whatever beckons.

From his first album fronting Steeler in 1983 with a budding — and butting heads — young guitarist named Yngwie Malmsteen to Keel hits such as “Somebody’s Waiting,” “Because the Night,” “Tears of Fire,” “I Said the Wrong Thing to the Right Girl” and a cover of “Rock N’ Roll Outlaw” to his new Southern metal concoction Ron Keel Band, the vocalist/guitarist has put his stamp on the rock scene. In between, Keel also became a force in radio and with his “Streets of Rock N’ Roll” weekly podcasts. He combines that journalistic love today with his new band’s April 24 release of covers album South X South Dakota that pays tribute to some legendary artists plus his group’s 2019 debut Fight Like a Band.

Given his persona, Keel would fit right into the Alamo City if he ever chooses to call San Antonio home. But there’s other aspects to Keel that the average, or even above average, rock and metal fan might not know. To list them here would be to give away the ending to a story rooted in dedication to family, Rock N’ Roll and living the American dream. It doesn’t matter whether Keel the man sports hair spray or a cowboy hat, spurs and a guitar while doing so. He’s just doing things his way. Because he earned the right.

Keel discussed it all with Alamo True Metal exclusively this week. Click the widget below to hear our entire conversation, watch a few of his videos, and check out more of his content at Patreon.com, where you can pay a monthly subscription fee to get all access to exclusive content and personal fan experiences (photos courtesy Best Bet Promotions).

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Into the Pit: Metal Church guitarist Kurdt Vanderhoof

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Into the Pit: Metal Church guitarist Kurdt Vanderhoof

Although our world has, for all intents and purposes, shut down from outside activity in unprecedented fashion due to the Coronavirus, it’s what you make of this newfound extra free time at home that could pave the way to a brighter future. For musicians, that means extra time to write new material, record songs, or just play around with a bevy of riff ideas. 

Kurdt Vanderhoof is the lone remaining original member of one of metal’s longstanding influential and heavy bands, Metal Church. Vanderhoof founded the group, is its chief songwriter, and has weathered various lineup changes that has included three singers since 1984, with current vocalist Mike Howe on his second stint after debuting on 1989’s Blessing in Disguise. 

While Metal Church has long called Washington state home – the first state believed to have contracted the Covid-19 pandemic – Vanderhoof has relocated to the band’s original upbringing of California, which has thousands of citizens under a stay-at-home order. But while the concert scene has come to a halt worldwide, albums are still being released on Fridays. Metal Church gets into the act next Friday, April 10, with compilation effort From The Vault on Rat Pak Records. The album features new tracks, B-sides from the 2018 Damned If You Do sessions, somewhat unexpected cover selections and a pair of live songs from Japan. The bonus version of From the Vault also includes a pair of remixes from XI, the first album since Howe’s return in 2016. 

Vanderhoof spoke with me before a visit to Backstage Live on Feb. 20, 2014, when Ronny Munroe was the group’s vocalist (watch here). But now, with all the world’s a stage under our own roofs, Vanderhoof also used some of his extra downtime to speak with Alamo True Metal.

Click the widget below to hear our conversation. To watch my 2017 AXS with Howe, click here.

The band's founder, guitarist, songwriter and lone remaining original member goes "Into the Pit" to discuss next week's release of compilation album "From the Vault," how the Coronavirus pandemic is affecting his band and down time, memories of the late original singer "Reverend" David Wayne and much more (photo Feb. 20, 2014)

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Wings of thrash soar throughout Aztec with Overkill & Exhorder

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Wings of thrash soar throughout Aztec with Overkill & Exhorder

Flagbearers of East Coast thrash metal that they are, Overkill has set itself apart for 35 years from virtually every band of any metal genre in one respect: hiatuses. More appropriately, lack thereof.  

While many artists who’ve been servicing metalheads over that span have taken multi-year breaks consisting of at least five years between albums, Overkill has set the unthinkable standard of releasing records every 1-3 years. In doing so, the brethren from New Jersey have managed to maintain original members in vocalist Bobby “Blitz” Ellsworth and bassist D.D. Verni, helping to explain recent album titles such as The Grinding Wheel and Ironbound (which Blitz spoke of exclusively with ATM aboard the 70000 Tons of Metal cruises in 2017 and 2012) as a testament to their fortitude and longevity. 

As if releasing 19 original studio albums (plus a covers effort and a few live offerings) between 1985-2019 isn’t enough, Overkill has done so while resisting temptation of dropping a greatest-hits record. Then again, maybe that’s because Overkill defines the true measure of the underground scene even in their 50s and 60s given that arguably their biggest “hit” is a profanity-laced cover by The Subhumans (not to be confused with The Subhumans coming to the Rock Box on April 18) or that their second biggest – “Hello From the Gutter” – gained notoriety only because Beavis & Butt-head made fun of it (heh heh, heh heh!).

Overkill, like many artists, spent the majority of its career without the benefit of radio or MTV mainstream airplay. But they’ve survived and persevered thanks to the undying dedication of Ellsworth and Verni plus longtime veteran lead guitarist Dave Linsk and rhythm guitarist Derek “Skull” Tailer. Add former Shadows Fall drummer Jason Bittner to the mix, and you have the unified team that brought its act, along with New Orleans’ Exhorder and Hydraform, to the Aztec Theatre last Wednesday night in support of 19th album The Wings of War. 

As evidenced by ATM’s footage below, plus Facebook Live clips of “Bring Me the Night,” new track “Distortion” and “Necroshine” here, Overkill was on fire once again. Playing, almost appropriately, to a lower-bowl filled/balcony-closed Aztec of approximately 600 fans (per a venue staffer), Overkill represented 10 of those 19 albums with thrash-pounding fury for those lucky enough to witness them, which included the band’s longtime drum tech Eddy Garcia of El Paso’s Pissing Razors. 

To their credit, Overkill switched things up a bit from recent tours in which their habit was to open with the first song off their newest album before diving head first into “Rotten to the Core” off 1985 debut Feel the Fire. This time, after upholding the first part of that tradition with punishing new opener “Last Man Standing,” Ellsworth and Co. blitzed into “Electric Rattlesnake” off 2012’s The Electric Age, saving “Rotten to the Core” for one of the encores (watch below). Likewise, “Elimination”, normally relegated toward the end, was the fourth song of the night before vastly underrated “Bring Me the Night” unleashed Overkill’s power surge. 

But speaking of one of Overkill’s best songs, off one of the genre’s most classic albums in 1987’s Taking Over, the group inexplicably left all tunes from that record off the menu. It would’ve been a blast to hear “Powersurge” or “Electro-Violence,” and at the very least “Wrecking Crew,” which has served as Overkill’s mantra for so long, it continued to brand one of the T-shirts at the merch booth (see 43-photo slideshow below). It also would’ve been great to hear something from 1988 follow-up Under the Influence besides “Hello From the Gutter” such as “Shred,” “Never Say Never” or “Drunken Wisdom.”

Bittner’s prowess on the drums rarely let up both with his arms and feet that pounded the double-bass unit. Somewhat ironically, one of his other former Shadows Fall mates – guitarist Jon Donais – has plied his trade for several years in the other most well-known East Coast thrash outfit — Anthrax. 

Exhorder, meanwhile, delivered the goods as the middle band on the bill. Hailing from New Orleans, vocalist Kyle Thomas was joined by former Superjoint Ritual and Phil Anselmo solo-band guitarist Marzi Montazeri plus bassist Jason VieBrooks and drummer Sasha Horn. Watch ATM’s Facebook Live footage of “Slaughter in The Vatican” and “Cadence of the Dirge” below, which was dedicated in part to drummer Reed Mullin of Corrosion Of Conformity, who died Jan. 27.

The pedigree of Exhorder’s members is just as credible and fierce as their music, serving notice they’re a force to be reckoned with. Thomas and Montazeri, for starters, comprise half of the Houston-based outfit Heavy As Texas, while Horn was part of Forbidden’s final lineup that parted ways in 2012. Not to be outdone, Montazeri was in Superjoint with Anselmo as well as Phil Anselmo & The Illegals, and his own solo record featured the vocals of Tim “Ripper” Owens, all of which Montazeri discussed in 2017 with yours truly (listen here).

The debate often rages: if there was a Big 5, which band would join Metallica, Slayer, Megadeth and Anthrax — Overkill, Exodus, Testament or Death Angel? Such a conversation is virtually pointless, other than to have fun arguing with your friends, given that each of those bands is deserving and there isn’t a Big 5, period. And there’s no denying they each perform gigs as if their lives depend on it. Because their way of making a living actually does. Three of those so-called secondary thrash bands hail from the West Coast. The mighty Overkill represents the Garden State. And for one night in the Alamo City, that became the Lone Star State because Blitz said so (watch below). And he’s been doing so for 35 years.

That’s a big (5) enough cause to rally around.

SETLIST: Last Man Standing, Electric Rattlesnake, Hello From the Gutter, Elimination, Bring Me the Night, Distortion, Necroshine, Under One, Bastard Nation, Mean Green Killing Machine, Feel the Fire, Ironbound. Encores: Coma, Rotten to the Core, Fuck You, Welcome to the Garden State/Fuck You ending

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Higher power reigns over lesser evils behind Stryper and local classic rockers

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Higher power reigns over lesser evils behind Stryper and local classic rockers

Stryper’s mission ever since it has been touring Texas from the mid-1980s has been as clear cut, and as opposite, as any band around: to spread the gospel of Christ in rocking fashion. Adorned with its customary yellow and black attire and instruments, that message has usually come in the form of a new album or, as in the case of its October 2016 visit to the now-defunct Alamo City Music Hall, a 30th anniversary celebration of its most successful album To Hell With the Devil.

This time, Stryper expressed its colors with a greatest hits tour.

For the second consecutive visit, last Sunday’s concert at Vibes Event Center performed by original members in vocalist/guitarist Michael Sweet, his brother and drummer Robert Sweet and lead guitarist Oz Fox was accompanied by new bassist Perry Richardson, who used to be in Firehouse. Richardson made his San Antonio debut with Stryper in June 2018 at Sam’s Burger Joint as the band toured behind God Damn Evil (coverage here).

But it nearly got off to an ominous start.

The band was three hours late to the venue, according to Rock Box/Vibes Event Center co-owner Steve Rodriguez, due to having witnessed the aftermath of a horrific motorcycle accident between Austin and San Marcos en route to the Alamo City from Dallas. Stryper understandably was shaken up upon its arrival, Rodriguez said, eventually going through a brief soundcheck after ensuring the concert would be switched from the originally scheduled Rock Box stage — where a sold-out Stryper performance in July 2016 minus air conditioning had band and patrons sweating profusely, as Michael Sweet recalled in our interview shortly thereafter (listen here) — to the larger Vibes stage.

Fortunately, the band had a few hours to gather its bearings before going on at 10 p.m. and made no mention of its travails during a rockin’ 85-minute showing before approximately 500 fans (as revealed by Din Productions promoter Alfred Mejia). Richardson, too, looked more comfortable a little less than two years into being a member than at the Sam’s show that was one of his first in yellow and black. Seven of the 16 tunes performed (setlist in 52-photo slideshow below) were from To Hell With the Devil, including “Free” and “More Than a Man” (ATM Facebook Live footage here) and the double encore of “Sing-Along Song” and “To Hell With the Devil” (watch here). Watch ATM footage of three other classics below.

While Stryper was ending the Texas and American portion of its greatest hits tour on the eve of the inaugural performances of its 37-year existence in Mexico, the stage was set for them by a pair of local bands that formed in 1987, the year after To Hell With the Devil’s release. Direct support act Byfist and openers Wicked Angel have carved their own niche in San Antonio metal history.

Byfist’s lineup path has been well documented, but for those not in the know . . . rhythm guitarist Nacho Vara, who also plays in local classic rockers Seance, remains the lone original member. The band lost original vocalist Vikk Real and guitarist Dave Lee but persevered through the inevitable uncertainty of what the future might hold. Byfist’s 1989 EP Adrenalin was produced by the late Metal Church and Reverend vocalist “Reverend” David Wayne. As such, Vara tends to get emotional while dedicating “Mary Celeste” to the former two, and vocalist Raul Garcia pays homage to Wayne on traditional finale “Scattered Wits” (ATM footage of both below).

As is the group’s custom, it opened with the up-tempo of “Universal Metal,” which features a portion of Ernie B.’s guitar solo that reminds one verbatim of George Lynch’s solo in Dokken’s “Tooth and Nail.” Another standout was “In the End,” as bassist Stony Grantham and drummer Scott Palmer’s efforts were not to be outdone. New music is definitely being looked forward to regarding Byfist.

Wicked Angel is planning on having its own new tunes in the not-too-distant future. Though the band doesn’t play nearly as many shows as other local acts in the scene, that could change this year. Wicked Angel’s presence opening this night was a welcome sight, and quickly served notice as drummer Ernie Chavarria took to the stage by lighting his China Boy cymbals on fire. It was also music to the ears for those longing to hear 1987 tracks such as opener “Realms of Chaos.” Afterwards, vocalist Dave Caballero set the tone for the evening’s theme by describing how it was necessary to root out all evil. When some in the crowd laughed thinking he was just playing, Caballero replied, “No, really!” Watch ATM Facebook Live footage of “Stealer of Souls” and below of closer “Lucifer’s Hammer.”

So whether being healed by yellow and black stripes, the memory of band members who have moved on or an inspirational look to what lies ahead, Stryper, Byfist and Wicked Angel demonstrated in their own way that the rock remains strong within them. Righteously speaking.

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Texas two-step of bands inch closer to prestigious Wacken festival in Germany

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Texas two-step of bands inch closer to prestigious Wacken festival in Germany

Ask many musicians who pick up a guitar, bang the drums or belt out vocals to their heart’s content why they do so, and they’ll tell you they have one thing in mind: making it big someday.

For 10 bands from the Lone Star State, the vision of living large for at least one day emanated Saturday night at a quaint San Antonio bar known as Fitzgerald’s. And two of those artists kept that mindset alive for another month by traveling from afar in vastly different ways.

Texas Voodoo Stomp and Valkyrie, the last two groups to perform, made the biggest impression on the three-judge panel to advance from the San Antonio Regional of the second annual Wacken Metal Battle. With artists from across the nation vying to become the sole band representing the United States among winners from 29 other nations at the world’s largest annual metal festival — Wacken Open Air from July 30-Aug. 1 in Germany among headliners Judas Priest, Slipknot and Amon Amarth — Texas Voodoo Stomp and Valkryie stood out the most. As such, they earned a berth in the state final Saturday, March 14, at Come and Take It Live in Austin.

Their chances to advance further increase because the competition dwindles with each round. The opposition in Austin will be Houston Regional winners Scrap Pile and Of The Fallen plus Austin Regional victors Hanna Barakat and Gran Andes. The victor of the state final advances to the national round May 9 at The Viper Room in Los Angeles, with that winner advancing to Deutschland.

Texas Voodoo Stomp and Valkryie’s paths covered a wide swath of terrain — literally and figuratively.

The former quintet, easily the loudest of the 10 bands at Fitzgerald’s, made the 800-plus mile trek from El Paso just to play a 20-minute set. It paid off with the help of the most vocal and largest contingent of crowd support that put to shame those who turned out — or didn’t — for the hometown groups. Click here to watch ATM Facebook Live footage of Texas Voodoo Stomp performing “Killing Time” and “Resurrect Me” plus the clip below of “The Walking Dead.”

The latter, San Antonio’s Valkyrie, easily qualified as the sentimental favorite among judges Brian Keith (The Edge Rock Radio), Jacob Sendejo (KYSM-FM DJ) and Herb Rockman (Herb’s Hut Record Store). High-pitched vocalist Joe Gregory and guitarist Scott Stine hadn’t played on stage in 33 years but took a leap of faith by reuniting for the chance to possibly perform at Wacken. They re-recorded some of their classics for an EP last month after having recruited bassist Al Kelly and drummer Rich Gomez, both of local group Under No One, a little more than a year ago. Lo and behold, the quartet pulled a rabbit out of its hat and, along with Texas Voodoo Stomp, had just enough to edge third-place Cauterized. Watch Valkyrie in action on “Valkyre” and “Screams of the Aggressor.”

With each band having to adjust to a mere 20-minute set and playing in alphabetical order, time was of the essence to make an impression. While being graded on categories such as originality, energy, image and musicianship, each group was challenged to come across as the band that would rock the judges’ socks off. Instead, some fell into the trap of treating it like another Saturday night at Fitzgerald’s of playing to friends and family rather than performing as if their lives depended on it and envisioning themselves in front of 80,000 German maniacs — as 2019 national winners, San Diego thrashers Monarch, ended up doing here.

Gregory, in fact, was the only musician of the 10 artists to even mention Wacken (as viewed in Valkyrie’s aforementioned ATM clip). That reference undoubtedly earned his band extra points that helped put it over the top. Other groups, while shining in their own way musically, may have lost out by plugging their merch and social media pages — things that can be done any day of the week but shouldn’t have been wasted with only 20 minutes allotted and considering what was at stake. Other than the victorious bands, the musician who appeared to understand the importance of laying it all on the line and playing to the judges and crowd with the utmost passion and energy the most was vocalist Alex Carabajal of Cauterized (see 46-photo slideshow below). His local band’s efforts nearly put it in the final two, with only half a point separating Cauterized from a trip to Austin.

That fact exemplified the stiff competition as the bands brought various styles from all over the state to Fitzgerald’s. Click the links to watch ATM Facebook Live footage of them in action. The San Antonio contingent included Aeternal Requiem, which kicked off the night at 6:30 p.m., then had to wait six hours for the results, Beauty School Massacre, Bridge 13, Cauterized, Send Help and Syrus, which played in Germany two years ago at Headbangers Open Air.

Industrial act Akardia also made the long haul from El Paso with its Rammstein influence ever apparent. TBA TX Noise, a Corpus Christi band partially abbreviated as Tits, Beer and Ass, reminded one of early ‘90s comical band Scatterbrain (minus the pajamas and pigtails).

See more exclusive ATM footage of the groups below from the regional that was supposed to consist of 15 bands only to have Black Jackal, Burning Circle, Pigweed, Saving Jackie and Semper Acerbus withdraw.

Purchase tickets for the March 14 state final in Austin here. May the best band go to Hollywood. And possibly to Germany.

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Beast of the bass roars in and out of Rock Box with British Lion

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Beast of the bass roars in and out of Rock Box with British Lion

To many metal aficionados, assessing the decision of one of the most well-known musicians — from one of the industry’s most iconic bands — to temporarily surrender 35 years of headlining stadiums worldwide might yield one word: ludicrous.

It might seem ludicrous Iron Maiden bassist Steve Harris would return to his English band’s roots playing in bars. It could be oh so crazy he would give up being piloted across the globe in a 777 — by his own vocalist, no less.

But for Harris, it’s always been about the music. And for the first time, the ageless wonder has crafted songs outside of the Iron Maiden moniker. Which means an outlet needed to be created to give those tunes a breath of fresh air, to be unleashed upon anyone willing to listen to them. Harris brought that team effort known as British Lion to the Rock Box last Friday night marking only the fifth North American show ever for his first venture outside of Iron Maiden.

Although the group released its self-titled debut in 2012, it is strong sophomore effort The Burning, which dropped only seven days before the show, that spurred Harris and vocalist Richard Taylor, guitarists David Hawkins and Grahame Leslie and drummer Simon Dawson to hit the States for the first time as a quintet.

But along with a new band and fresh songs, Harris is as good as anyone at making statements clear regarding those things without saying a single word. Though he mouthed nearly every syllable to every song as is his wont, Harris didn’t speak anything to the intimate crowd of roughly 220 that showed their devotion to his Maiden stature, supported by German duo The Picturebooks and locals S.A. Territories, on a night Queensryche, John 5 and Eve To Adam were playing the Aztec Theatre. That was just one indication, lest anyone have doubts, that the band is British Lion — not Steve Harris & Friends (see 52-photo slideshow with setlist & ATM footage of “Us Against the World” and “Lightning” below).

Not since Megadeth bassist David Ellefson in September 2018 at Fitzgerald’s (coverage here) had a musician of Harris’ might played a San Antonio bar. Unlike the former’s self-described “basstory” setup and promotion of his new coffee, Harris stuck to the script of spreading exposure of his new bandmates’ talents. They did not treat anyone to bonus Maiden material, and yet no one in the crowd was disappointed hearing nothing but two albums worth of British Lion material as evidenced by ATM Facebook Live footage of “Legend” and “Spit Fire.”

Taylor engaged the crowd while introducing the latter tune, saying he wished the band could remain in San Antonio. But he also showed a polite yet no-nonsense side exemplifying the concert experience in the 21st century by calling out the “fan who’s been filming the shole show. If you could not film the last two songs, it would be appreciated. I mean, we are putting on a live show. It just kind of ruins things.”

The Picturebooks, meanwhile, have the honor of opening the tour on what has to be a dream experience for them. They took to the stage with an immediate thunderous sound that would’ve turned heads during intermission of the simultaneous death-metal show happening in the Vibes Underground portion of the Rock Box for two reasons:

  • The band is made up of only two members (singer/guitarist Fynn Grabke and drummer Philipp Mirtschink)

  • The drums are devoid of cymbals

Touring in support of 2019’s The Hands of Time, which includes a guest appearance by Chrissie Hynde of The Pretenders, the German duo sizzled on their first visit to the Alamo City, exhibiting a bombastic nature more telling than some trios and quartets as shown via ATM Facebook Live footage of “Electric Nights.”

Despite the Friday night vibe, British Lion’s 90-minute set ended at 11 p.m., paving the way for an early start to a meet-and-greet with Harris. The bassist came out 63 minutes later after it was announced he would sign two items per person. The picture taking and subsequent signings were rushed along as the band was preparing to head to Dallas in the middle of the night. But not before albums, shirts, arms that would be tattooed the next day, and the instrument of Iron Maiden local tribute Seventh Son bassist Daniel Morrison were stamped with Harris’ Sharpie penmanship.

Contributing to the humorous portion of the after party was a couple being rushed through the line, with the woman frantically telling her retreating better half to hurry up and take her pic with Harris. The man came back to the line, took out his phone and said, “Well, I didn’t know you wanted one” before telling the band’s tour manager, “She was all about the singer.” The woman replied, “Ooh, yeah, he’s sexy.” As her pic with Harris became a moment to treasure forever, she looked at the man no one else in the venue viewed as an afterthought and assured him, “Oh, you are too.”

Such is the life of mega rock stars playing in bars.

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