Viewing entries tagged
The Rock Box

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

Comment

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.

Comment

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

1 Comment

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.

1 Comment

Concept of celebrating 'Operation: Mindcrime' still resonates with Geoff Tate & S.A.

Comment

Concept of celebrating 'Operation: Mindcrime' still resonates with Geoff Tate & S.A.

When it comes to history’s most iconic albums, Queensryche’s Operation: Mindcrime has reigned supreme in the hard rock/heavy metal conscience for 31 years. It’s gotten to the point where both existing factions of the band — Queensryche featuring replacement vocalist Todd La Torre and Geoff Tate’s Operation: Mindcrime — could play it in its entirety whenever they visit San Antonio, and no one would cry themselves a river.

The original voice on that concept album, Tate returned to the Rock Box last Sunday night and played it all the way through for the fourth time since 2013, and second time in 14 months (last year’s coverage here). And while the performance was similar every time, save for a couple of rare instances on this night where Tate may not have sounded as clean as in previous performances (but is still better than 90 percent of the vocalists out there), the method to the madness was different.

Last weekend was supposed to see the seventh annual River City Rockfest turning the Alamo City and AT&T Center grounds into the mecca of metal for two days. Instead, the festival was canceled in early summer, of which Tate was supposed to be a part playing an approximately 45-minute set. That meant he wouldn’t have had time to play Mindcrime in its entirety. But when the festival got axed, and Tate was offered a chance to return on his own, he swept up the opportunity with Irish guitarist/singer Mark Daly and locals Gandhi’s Gun, Hellgrimm and The Steel Soldiers providing support (see 37-photo slideshow of the three main acts below).

In 2014, Tate told ATM “the past is over” and that he was “definitely ready to move on from” Mindcrime. But he also conceded Mindcrime is what promoters buy and, in perhaps the understatement of 2014 that still applies in 2019, “Mindcrime is a very successful tour” (watch below).

Once again, Tate was backed by Canadian guitarist Scott Moughton, Scottish guitarist Kieran Robertson — who’s also the boyfriend of Tate’s daughter Emily Tate, who fronts Till Death Do Us Part with Robertson on guitar — and bassist “Smilin’ “ Jack Ross while being joined for the first time by Brendan Bell on drums. Tate even had longtime guitarist Kelly Gray in the house watching as a fan. Tate whipped through Side 1 of the album before offering his patented, “Shall we continue” prior to “The Needle Lies,” “Breaking the Silence” and the rest of the record (ATM footage below).

Perhaps because it was a Sunday night, Tate limited his encore to just “Silent Lucidity.” But while he visits San Antonio on an annual basis and even sometimes multiple times in one year, a return next spring might be even more exciting given that Tate will be playing all of 1986’s Rage For Order and 1990’s Empire each evening. For the first time in ages, Tate will be performing tunes such as “Gonna Get Close to You,” “I Will Remember,” “Hand On Heart” and “Anybody Listening?”

Daly, a southpaw acoustic guitarist, and his band made their first visit from Ireland to a crowd that was on the verge of becoming restless after three local openers in waiting for Tate. But with the exception of a couple of sarcastic apples in the crowd, Daly seemed to please if not impress the majority of the roughly 500 in attendance with his brand of rock.

Gandhi’s Gun, meanwhile, has opened for Tate and the other version of Queensryche on multiple occasions. That included Saturday night’s show with Queensryche in Cedar Park six days after warming things up for Tate. These eyes and ears have seen and listened to Gandhi’s Gun play in front of 10 people on a Sunday night at Boozehounds and open for Tate at the Aztec Theatre, and of course Sunday at the Rock Box. They’ve also made San Antonio proud by playing the Whisky on Hollywood’s Sunset Strip and filming a video there, and the band lived up to its energy again (watch “Broken” below).

The night concluded a back-to-back exhibition of Rockfest spillovers, with Jinjer having headlined the Rock Box’s Vibes Event Center the night before (coverage here). The shows bookended a long and tiring, but fruitful, weekend for Rock Box owners Micaela and Steve Rodriguez and their staff, not only making sure things ran smoothly for both shows, but simply getting the venue ready for Tate after Jinjer and its support acts nearly sold out the Vibes.

It may not have been the weekend that could have been. But for new-schoolers and old-schoolers alike, it delivered what fans came to hear.

Comment

International flair of females brings roaring Vibes to Alamo City

Comment

International flair of females brings roaring Vibes to Alamo City

The seventh annual River City Rockfest was all set to feature one of the most sought-after and intriguing bands to hit the scene recently for the first two-day Rockfest in San Antonio history last weekend. Except for one problem.

The Rockfest was canceled. Which led to the search and effort by Din Productions to atone for the cancellation by bringing some of those scheduled bands here on their own tours.

Jinjer was happy to oblige.

The quartet from the Ukraine, led by the mesmerizing vocal style of Tatiana Shmailyuk, swept into town, and demand was palpable. In what may have been the first metal show designed to be on the Rock Box stage of the Rock Box building, only to be moved to the larger Vibes Event Center within the facility, roughly 1,100 fans turned out last Saturday to hear and witness the Ukranian wonders.

Kansas City natives The Browning provided direct support in a shroud of darkness (watch ATM footage of “Awaken the Omega below), but it was Toronto quintet Sumo Cyco that had the crowd jumping early. Fronted by Catwoman-suit wearing Skye “Sever” Sweetnam, who body surfed her way into the audience on more than one occasion (see 80-photo slideshow below), Sumo Cyco increased the energy after locals Wulfholt and Desolate A.D. warmed things up. Watch Sumo Cyco perform “Move the Mountains” below and click here for Facebook Live footage of “Run With the Giants.”

While Sumo Cyco easily won over new fans with their energetic performance and meet-and-greet afterwards, it was Jinjer that most came to see. Set to release Macro on Oct. 25, Shmailyuk lured listeners in with her girl-next-door pink jumpsuit, white sneakers and sweetened clean vocals before unleashing her patented roars that would shame many death-metal male vocalists on tracks such as “Ape,” new single “Judgement & Punishment” and finale “Pisces.” Judge for yourself on ATM Facebook Live footage of “Dreadful Moments” and see the setlist in the slideshow below.

Guitarist Roman Ibramkhalilov, bassist Eugene Abdukhanov and drummer Vladislav Ulasevish brought their own sense of metal fury as Shmailyuk roared to her heart’s content in a nearly two-hour set. While many bands these days incorporate two singers splitting the clean and metalcore styles, Shmailyuk’s ability to handle both distinctively with ease by herself is a large part of the lure for Jinjer fans, making the band different than most.

Wulfholt and Desolate A.D. brought riffs, drums and heavy vocals to the local portion of the night, with the former band generating a slew of flying panties that made their way into the photo pit (see slideshow). Watch both bands in action, respectively, via ATM Facebook Live footage of “Volatility Quotient” and “Fight For Another Day.”

While the first of back-to-back Rockfest spillover shows delighted a near sold-out crowd that flowed into a room not originally anticipated, the entire weekend would not have been possible without the tireless work of Rock Box owners Micaela & Steve Rodriguez and their staff. In addition to making adjustments on the fly within the facility and ensuring admission was run as smoothly as possible, they had to turn things over immediately after the Jinjer show cleared out for Sunday night’s second spillover appearance of Geoff Tate’s Operation: Mindcrime.

Stay tuned for coverage of that show. And keep in mind that with a little more demand from the fans, those two acts won’t be the only Rockfest 2019 alums to actually appear on stage rather than just on paper.

Comment

Return of Sacred Reich hits home for purveyors of S.A. Slayer

Comment

Return of Sacred Reich hits home for purveyors of S.A. Slayer

When the discussion of thrash metal circulates at concerts, your local venue or maybe even around the barbecue pit, the usual suspects come to mind even beyond The BIg 4. Sacred Reich, however, often doesn’t even fall on the radar. Some of that may be due to its inactivity from 2000-06. But considering the band formed in the mid-’80s out of Arizona during arguably the peak of the metal scene, the biggest reason for Sacred Reich’s relative obscurity may remain the biggest mystery as well..

But it’s no time like the present for original vocalist/bassist Phil Rind to round up the gang again. And with a couple of twists. It was all on display last Saturday night at the Rock Box as Sacred Reich reminded an intimate crowd of maybe a couple hundred just how underrated it is. Get a taste by watching ATM’s footage of three songs below.

Even more relevant to many than the band’s return was who was playing the drums. Former S.A. Slayer — and, oh by the way, Machine Head — sticksman Dave McClain enjoyed a homecoming of sorts, returning to Sacred Reich last year for his second stint with the group. San Antonians, of course, remember McClain largely for his involvement with S.A. Slayer, which is widely known for the one “Slayer vs. Slayer” show in history it played on the same bill as The Big 4 version Nov. 30, 1984, at The Villa Fontana. McClain certainly didn’t forget, performing Saturday night in a Slayer — yes, his version — T-shirt. His former bassmate, Donnie Van Stavern of Riot V and S.A. Slayer, was on hand as well.

While McClain returned to Sacred Reich in 2018, rhythm guitarist Joey Radziwill is even newer — and much younger. Sacred Reich’s unique timeline as a band couldn’t have been put in much more perspective than when Rind announced the 22-year-old Radziwill hadn’t been born the last time they made an album — 1996’s Heal. But that’s about to change as Sacred Reich will release Awakening on Aug. 23. They unveiled the title track among other older favorites such as “Surf Nicaragua,” “Free” and “Ignorance” (watch ATM’s Facebook Live footage here; setlist in 45-photo slideshow below).

Sworn Enemy, out of New York, was the only other national act on the bill, and they hit hard. Touring in support of Gamechanger, released six weeks ago, Sworn Enemy can be seen in action here before ending its set with “We Hate” below.

Wulfholt and Beyond Black delivered the goods from a local standpoint. Wulfholt, which competed in March during the regional portion of the 2019 Wacken Metal Battle competition, will return to the Rock Box on Friday, June 21, opening for Nita Strauss and Kore Rozzik (tickets here). In the meantime, watch them perform “Truth Shrouded” here.

Beyond Black certainly didn’t mess around with easing into its set to kickstart the evening. Not when you only have 30 minutes to set the table for the featured acts. As an added bonus for Alamo True Metal, which was privileged to be the only publication on hand covering the show, Beyond Black performed in surprisingly bright lighting, mostly nixing the dreaded red display that virtually all opening acts — and even some recent headliners such as Hatebreed and Godsmack — utilize. Bassist Steve Pena acknowledged the group is working on new material, which they revealed here. You can also watch them close out with “Deviant Saint” below and check out their ReverbNation page here.

Comment

Triple anniversary visit from Uli Jon Roth electrifies The Rock Box

Comment

Triple anniversary visit from Uli Jon Roth electrifies The Rock Box

Although he has made visits to San Antonio every 2-3 years in recent memory, Uli Jon Roth’s latest return was nearly a full year in the making. But the original Scorpions guitarist’s better-late-than-never performance Friday night at the Rock Box remained what it was supposed to be last June — a thrice-as-nice celebration of a heavily influential career.

Celebrating 30 years of his post-Scorpions band Electric Sun, 40 years of the Scorpions’ inaugural recorded live effort Tokyo Tapes and half a century since his first concert in 1968, Roth again amazed guitar aficionados, longtime fans and casual observers alike in a nearly three-hour performance.

Covering Roth never gets old, whether it was on the 70000 Tons of Metal cruises in 2011 and 2017 (latter here), at the Rock Box or now-defunct Korova (interview here) or in concert form, a VIP meet-and-greet setting or at one of his insightful instructional clinics. But Roth’s 2019 return to the Box, after Visa issues derailed his scheduled 2018 tour, showed a rarely played side of the legendary German.

Once again backed by stellar vocalist/guitarist Niklas Turmann, southpaw guitarist David Klosinski and keyboardist Corvin Bahn, Roth was also joined by bassist Nico Deppisch and England native Richard Kirk on drums (see 34-photo slideshow including setlist below). This time, Roth’s two-part set featured Electric Sun material, his post Scorpions ‘80s band that released three albums, and songs that could be classified as “etcetera.” But those tunes should not be considered afterthoughts.

One such track was Roth’s ode to his brother Zeno Roth, who died Feb. 5, 2018, after a lengthy illness. Roth credited his brother’s songwriting ability and gave the audience a taste of it, while Zeno’s face appeared on the video screen, with “Don’t Tell the Wind” (ATM Facebook LIve footage here). Roth also showcased other Electric Sun songs such as “Why,” “Icebreaker” and “I’ll Be There” (ATM footage below).

After a 15-minute break, Roth returned with the anticipation of his yet-to-be-played Scorpions material lingering. But first, Roth took to the stage by his lonesome for a unique request of his own. Prior to playing “Passage to India,” the guitarist asked for silence of the crowd. “I don’t mind if you talk during the heavy stuff,” Roth said, adding that the acoustic tune was on the quieter side and would not go over well if he had to play above noise. Following that soothing piece, Roth offered up a cover of The Shadows’ “Apache” while breaking out a humorous take about the guitar he would use to play it before declaring, “Time to do some Scorpions” as the band launched into “We’ll Burn the Sky” (watch both songs below).

Roth’s hits from the original Tokyo Tapes and his modern-era Tokyo Tapes Revisited kept coming with “Pictured Life” and “Catch Your Train” (ATM Facebook Live footage of both here) plus “In Trance.” Although the tour press release said Roth would offer hits such as “Fly to the Rainbow,” he left that epic song off the menu. His only deviation from the printed setlist, too, was to omit his own vocally led “Dark Lady,” though Roth did sing other tracks on the night.

Roth was the second guitar guru to play the Rock Box/Vibes Event Center in 12 days following the appearance of Swedish maestro Yngwie Malmsteen (coverage here). While some might say Roth’s and Malmsteen’s personalities are like night and day, it’s not very debatable to say they electrify in their own way. For the German Scorpion, the final Texas stop on his triple anniversary tour was one to remember as a trifecta of guitar milestones.

And it left no wonder Roth invented the Sky guitar. Because the sky has always been the limit for a musician blessed to grace the music landscape with five decades worth of guitar wizardry and knowledge.

Comment

Jake E. Lee leaves significant chunk of career off Red Dragon Cartel's return

Comment

Jake E. Lee leaves significant chunk of career off Red Dragon Cartel's return

Considering he's a famed 62-year-old guitarist who stepped out of the metal scene for more than a dozen years between his time in Badlands and the 2014 self-titled debut of new band Red Dragon Cartel, you couldn't blame fans for salivating at the return to the Alamo City of Jake E. Lee on Friday night. 

Lee, who oh by the way replaced the late Randy Rhoads in Ozzy Osbourne's band on iconic releases Bark at the Moon in 1983 and The Ultimate Sin in 1986, co-writing several non-credited songs along the way, is the feature component of Red Dragon Cartel. Along with oft-maligned vocalist Darren James Smith, drummer Phil Varone and the bassist on Lynch Mob's inaugural and best album Wicked Sensation in 1990, Anthony Esposito, Lee's visit had the potential to be shattering in terms of volume and entertainment value. At least on paper. 

But it was another piece of paper where Red Dragon Cartel came up short. The choice of songs. 

Touring in support of sophomore release Patina, a more bluesy record than the first RDC album, Lee understandably set out to promote the latest effort. Unfortunately, he did so at the expense of the majority of his Badlands years, shunning his Osbourne material almost entirely and scaling back on Red Dragon Cartel's heavy debut.

Playing a 13-song set, Lee opted to perform 80 percent of his new album -- eight of its 10 tracks -- out of those 13 offerings. Lee waited too long to throw the audience a Badlands bone, saved his shockingly lone Osbourne offering for a Bark at the Moon 2002 re-issue bonus track that was truly just for the diehards in "Spiders" (ATM footage below), didn't realize that some fans departed following the fourth, fifth and sixth songs after hearing nothing but Red Dragon Cartel material and, in letting only his stellar guitar skills do the talking, said nary a word to the crowd. Other than a pair of male fans jumping up and down repeatedly, the audience spent more time wondering when a recognizable Osbourne or Badlands track was coming and filming with their phones instead of pumping fists or tossing up horns.

That Lee didn’t speak was perfectly fine. His absence from the metal scene rekindled desires to hear him play, not chat. And shred he did. But even that came with a caveat, as the somewhat reclusive axeman spent 99 percent of the 75-minute performance on the left side of the stage. Lee ventured just once to the right half to tell Esposito something before playing in the middle solely on finale "Feeder," one of only two tracks from the self-titled record. Even when Lee kept to his comfortable stage left, he often turned to the side, facing one or two crew members standing there, and the wall, rather than the people who paid to see him amaze them with his skills.

The formation of Red Dragon Cartel got off to an inauspicious start in 2013, and Smith will always be measured against that, as unfair as it may seem as time passes. During Red Dragon Cartel's inaugural concert at the Whisky a Go Go in Hollywood, an inebriated Smith jumbled lyrics to Osbourne songs in a less-than-solid performance. After Lee and Smith were said to have ironed out some issues, the guitarist took what many may have seen as a gamble by bringing Smith back for Patina. To his credit, Smith is more than credible on the album and carried it over to the Rock Box, though he admitted when the group finally got around to playing "3-Day Funk" by Badlands: “This song might truly kill me!” (ATM Facebook Live footage here; setlist in 57-photo slideshow below). 

While some may point out Red Dragon Cartel played the Rock Box on Nov. 18, 2014 (with a different bassist and drummer) and offered up some Osbourne tracks that night, the fact remains Lee's career, which also involved playing in Rough Cutt, is mostly known for being one of the madman's guitar sidekicks. Lee also would've been better served by keeping in mind that because of his lengthy sabbatical, Friday's concert was witnessed not only by those who brought his classic records to the meet-and-greet that he graciously autographed, but by many seeing him live for the first time. Even Michael Jordan played meaningless NBA preseason games that took place in cities without professional franchises because he was mindful many at those exhibitions were watching him play for the first, and perhaps only, time in their lives. 

Ironically, Lee’s bassmate on The Ultimate Sin, Phil Soussan, was scheduled to play the same stage three weeks earlier on Valentine's Day with Last In Line only to see that gig canceled, presumably due to low ticket sales. While Lee had no such issues, the approximately 150 fans who showed up, though paltry by "Heavy Metal Capital" standards, deserved to hear a couple of tracks from that classic record. Or at least more than a show dominated by Patina. Playing a set vastly different from his previous visit and dominating it with new material would’ve been fine if that previous visit occurred within the past two years rather than a 4 1/2-year gap.

That said, the only other Badlands offering was arguably the highlight of the night as Smith gutted out "High Wire" for the first of two encores after admitting he was “scared” to attempt the high-pitched sound of the late Ray Gillen (ATM Facebook Live footage here). Badlands' biggest hit "Dreams in the Dark" was performed in 2014 but not on this night. Nor were other favorites “Winter's Call," "Hard Driver" or "Rumblin' Train." It would've been nice to hear the band try.

It also was odd that in a group where a legendary guitarist is the featured member, the only solo belonged to Varone on drums. The fact that tracks from The Ultimate Sin such as the title track, "Killer of Giants," "Secret Loser" or even MTV smash "Shot in the Dark" were ignored and that Lee's mesmerizing ending to "Bark at the Moon" was omitted meant most fans did not get what they expected to see and hear. 

Five or six songs from Patina would have served Lee's purpose of promoting his new album and still satiated the crowd’s appetite. Eight new tunes at the expense of his more well-known eras, however, was like eating the Caesar salad only to find out the restaurant would have to close prior to receiving that fat juicy steak you looked forward to before leaving the house.

Hopefully one of rock and metal’s best guitarists ever will keep that in mind while remembering the Alamo City would love to see him return. With a better choice of his great music expressed for all to experience.

Click the links for ATM Facebook Live footage of local openers Wall Of Soul, Eden Burning and Dallas-based Rendered Heartless, and see them in action in the slideshow below.

Comment

Bach at the Box: Voice of Skid Row basks in Jarzombek's homecoming

Comment

Bach at the Box: Voice of Skid Row basks in Jarzombek's homecoming

Whenever Sebastian Bach plays the Alamo City, the original vocalist of Skid Row comes close to being overshadowed, or at least equaled, by his own drummer. And he doesn't mind one bit.

The latest instance came Friday night at The Rock Box, when Bach turned it several times into "The Bach Rox" and entertained fans of his late '80s/early '90s metal outfit with a 1 hour, 26-minute performance.

Not to be outdone, of course, was the return of San Antonio native Bobby Jarzombek, who drummed on the same stage in mid-August with Fates Warning. This time, Jarzombek didn't have to worry about complicated time changes in a progressive metal band. Instead, he returned to his staple of placing and frequently mashing two cymbals behind his head, a setup he doesn't use with Fates Warning, because Bach's band affords him the chance to simply rock out.

As he did during last year's visit next door at Alamo City Music Hall, Bach peculiarly began the show in warmup mode, featuring four songs (as opposed to six last year) in which he toned down the tempo and mood, particularly while opening with the odd choice of Jimi Hendrix's "Little Wing." Also joined by guitarist Brent Woods and UFO bassist Rob De Luca, Bach's frequent references to needing a warmup included a track from the vastly underrated Subhuman Race, the third and final album he recorded with Skid Row in 1995, in "Breaking Down." Two of his most popular tracks from Skid Row's self-titled 1989 debut, "18 and Life" and "I Remember You," rounded out the initial portion of the show, though the latter would've better served as an encore.

Even with the sizable crowd geared up following those two tracks, the concert didn't feel as if it had officially begun until Bach changed jackets and the band took it to another level with arguably Skid Row's heaviest track, the title tune to 1991's Slave to the Grind.

Bach recounted stories of first playing Texas in 1985 in Madam X, a band that not only remains active today but was formed by original and current Vixen drummer Roxy Petrucci and her guitarist sister Maxine Petrucci. He also shared tales of drinking with the late Pantera and Damageplan guitarist "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott -- without mentioning that Pantera opened for Skid Row on a memorable 1992 tour -- as he introduced solo-album headbanger "American Metalhead" (which inexplicably said "Florida Metalhead" on the printed setlist under "San Antonio, Texas) and Skid Row ballad "In A Darkened Room (ATM footage of both below).

"American Metalhead," a track Bach came up with on 2007's Angel Down with Halford guitarist "Metal" Mike Chlasciak, required two takes because Woods' guitar shut down at the start of the tune (ATM footage here), causing a six-minute delay. The other connection is Chlasciak and Jarzombek continue to be members of Judas Priest vocalist Rob Halford's solo band Halford.

The Skid Row hits kept coming (setlist in slideshow) with "Sweet Little Sister," "Piece of Me" and "Monkey Business," which morphed into a dead-on mini-rendition of Rush's "Tom Sawyer" book-ended by the 1991 classic.

Bach introduced his mates at what appeared to be the end of the performance, with the usually reserved Jarzombek becoming even more animated than when he was surprisingly vocal after last year's concert, this time offering: "My good friend Sebastian fucking Bach! San Antonio, he is the original and only voice of Skid Row!"

The four members saluted the crowd and basked in the cheers, before Bach and Co. returned for one more cover in AC/DC's "T.N.T." 

Though Bach didn't play anything from his two most recent solo albums, the latest of which was 2014's Give 'em Hell, he isn't exactly touring in support of a new record, book or career milestone.

He's simply on the road to put the fun back in Rock N' Roll. And there's nothing wrong with that. Especially when it provides another chance for San Antonians to recognize one of their own talented musicians to boot.

The original voice of Skid Row restarts a 2007 solo song after the guitar of Brent Woods went out for six minutes (Take 1), then follows with a Pantera story of Dimebag Darrell's favorite Skid Row song.

Comment