THE COMPANY BAND
"Sign Here, Here, and Here"
- Mar. 19, 2008

ARTIST:
THE SPYDERZ
- Mar. 19, 2008

SWASHBUCKLE
"Crewed by the Damned"
- Mar. 5, 2008

ANDRE MATOS
"Time to be Free"
- Mar. 5, 2008

AIRBOURNE
"Runnin' Wild"
- Feb. 26, 2008

BLACK TIDE
"Light From Above"
- Feb. 26, 2008

WARBRINGER
"War Without End"
- Feb. 26, 2008

STONE RIDER
"Three Legs of Trouble"
- Feb. 26, 2008

VARIOUS ARTISTS
"Pagan Fire"
- Feb. 5, 2008

THE SEAN BAKER
ORCHESTRA
Self Titled
- Feb. 5, 2008

ARTIST:
EMIGRATE
- Feb. 5, 2008

ARTIST:
SPEED X
- Feb. 5, 2008

THE COMPANY BAND – "Sign Here, Here, and Here"
2008

Damn, this CD sounds like a 80 MPH Mack truck driving through mud! I love it. The golden rule of show business is to leave 'em wanting more and this is something The Company Band does well with their brief yet incredibly strong EP of 4 phat, hard rock songs.

The band has an all-star lineup with members of Clutch, Fireball Ministry, and CKY. Hopefully this is not the last we'll hear from The Company Band. Big melodies and beer soaked classic rock riffs on steroids.

It is on iTunes. Get these tracks today.

Entry by Mark Strigl

ARTIST: THE SPYDERZ
2008

One of my favorite new bands is The Spyderz, a group led by Biohazard bassist, Evan Seinfeld. Described as "the reinvention of hard rock taken to the next level," The Spyderz have an ultra-cool vibe that is edgy, street, raw, and undoubtedly rock 'n roll.

Although Evan is known for his bass playing in addition to his vocals, he decided to put down the bass and take on the lead singer/frontman position, a job he does extremely well. The group is rounded out by songwriting partner and lead guitarist Dirrty, former Ministry bassist, John Monti, monster drummer Lee Nelson, and rhythm guitarist Brooke St. James of Tyketto.

With songs like "Little Lover" (a track we got to jam with the band!), "Walk Away," "Round and Round" and "Mama Tried," The Spyderz are well on their way to compiling a list of killer tracks for their upcoming debut album. This band makes me want to grab my Gibson Les Paul, plug into my Marshall stack, and turn 'em both up to eleven!

Photo Caption: John Monti, Evan Seinfeld, Brooke St. James, Lee Nelson, Dirrty

Entry by John Ostronomy

The best Pirate Metal band I have heard in a longtime is Swashbuckle, discovered by Bumblefoot of Guns N' Roses fame. These guys are the real deal, well maybe "real" isn't the word, but their music speaks for itself. This band throws down hard and has a little fun at the same time.

Standout tracks: "Drink Up" and "Walk the Plank."

Entry by Mark Strigl

ANDRE MATOS – "Time to Be Free"
2008

This was released in Brazil in 2007, and now it looks like the rest of the world will finally be able to hear this masterpiece. Andre is already well known in South America for his work with Angra and Shaaman, and hopefully, this album will give him more of a name in Europe and North America. Produced by Roy Z (Halford/Dickinson/Bach), this album is killer and filled with powerful melodic metal.

Standout Tracks: "Rio", "Time To Be Free" and "Separate Ways" (Journey cover).

Entry by Mark Strigl

Australia punches the world in the face with yet another hard rocking fist full of power...a band called Airbourne. There is a big buzz around these young guys, and after listening to this album, you will understand why. Airbourne prove that good AC/DC style hard rock will never die.

BLACK TIDE – "Light From Above"
2008

I am really excited to hear this release in full. The few tracks they have posted on iTunes and on their MySpace page sound perfect. The guys stay true to metal while giving us some incredible hooks and melodies. The media seems to be obsessed with the ages of the band members, but the real story for Black Tide should be about how good their music is. Download the songs "Warriors of Time" and Shockwave" now, and pick up the album on March 18!

You do not have to be young to play thrash, but listening to this Warbringer album makes me think it might help. This is authentic thrash played by guys who were not even born when the thrash scene was at its best. Warbringer may not be doing something that is new and 100% original, but they have obviously studied the previous masters of thrash who have, in a way, walked away from the genre and left these guys to possibly claim the throne.

Entry by Mark Strigl

STONERIDER – "Three Legs Of Trouble"
2008

Dirty hard rock n roll served up just right.

I hear all sorts of classic influences in StoneRider from AC/DC to Guns N' Roses, to Aerosmith. This is a solid album of pure, uncut, in-your-face rock. Listening to it makes me want to crack open a beer and grab a smoke, and I don't even smoke. A lot of bands do this style of music, but so few do it well. StoneRider is one of those few.

Standout Tracks: "Juice Man," "Rush Hour," and "Wild Child."

Entry by Mark Strigl

This is the perfect introduction to the world of Pagan and Viking metal. The CD contains classic bands like Bathory and Unleshed and exciting newer bands such as Wintersun and Eluveitie. Standout tracks for me are "Isa" by Enslaved, "Blut Im Auge" by Equilibrium, "Battle Metal" by Turisas, and "Victorious March" by Amon Amarth. I am looking forward to catching Pagan Fest 2008 which will be the touring companion to this CD compilation.

THE SEAN BAKER ORCHESTRA – Self Titled
2004

Sean Baker is one of the greatest rock guitarist you never heard of. This album has been out a number of years, but still no one seems to know about it. What you will hear: Sean Baker, Terry Martin (bass), and Kevin Graczyk (drums) laying down some instrumental rock with great melodies and musicianship. The production on the album is totally pro sounding, and Bruce Bouillet (Racer X and The Scream) mixed it. Buy the CD online or legally download the cuts.

Sean is currently in the studio with Bruce Bouillet working on a follow up to this great CD. Look for Joe Stump (Reign of Terror and HolyHell) and Marc Rizzo (Soulfly) to make guest appearances.

ARTIST: EMIGRATE
2007

If I had a chance to join any band, it would have to be Rammstein. Black and silver space age costumes, industrial style staging, more pyro than any band you've ever seen, and most importantly, hard driving industrial metal. Much like every kid had a favorite KISS member (mine was Ace), my favorite Rammstein member is lead guitarist Richard Z. Kruspe. That's why I couldn't wait to hear Richard's new band Emigrate.

Emigrate is more than a solo effort by Richard. It's an actual band made up of musicians that have crossed his path through the years. Logic program editor Sascha Moser was a member of Richard's pre-Rammstein act Orgasm Death Gimmicks, drummer Henka Johansson played for Clawfinger who has opened for Rammstein, bassist Arnaud Giroux was the first musician Richard met in New York, and rhythm guitarist Olsen Involtini is the one person Richard trusted with recording his vocals.

Having Richard sing lead vocals is a huge treat for Rammstein fans. Plus, his vocals are sung in English. Richard and I both agree that Rammstein's vocals wouldn't be quite right if they were not sung in German, but I believe that using English vocals with Emigrate will only broaden their appeal. The Emigrate album chronicles Richard's experiences since moving to New York City. The first single, "My World," is a tough industrial rocker that is also featured on the soundtrack for "Resident Evil: Extinction." The second single "New York City" puts you directly inside Richard's head and makes you feel like you're walking the streets of New York. "Resolution" features some interesting Middle Eastern sounding scales, and the guitar riff on bonus track "Blood" should make all true fans seek out the limited edition version of the CD.

I am hopeful that, in between recording and touring with Rammstein, Richard will find time to schedule some live Emigrate dates. If you've been a fan of Rammstein, you absolutely must check out Emigrate, but even if you aren't familiar with the mighty German industrial metal act, Emigrate brings something new to the table and will appeal to an ever wider array of metal fans.

ARTIST: SPEED X
2007

Back at Ozzfest 2006, I met Black Label Society guitarist Nick Catanese, his father Big Nick, and his mom Carol. They are one metal family that reminds me so much of my own. We are both from Western Pennsylvania, both love metal, and both would do just about anything to support our metal careers. It's also the Catanese and Wylde families that I have to thank for making me a part of the Black Label Society by arranging for me to wear the official BLS colors. When I received the exclusive news on Nick's new band Speed X, I could not wait to hear it!

At last year's Winter NAMM show in Los Angeles, Nick Catanese and Queensryche's Mike Stone, met at the "Black Tooth Bash," a tribute to the late, great Dimebag Darrell. The two struck up a friendship, and Speed X was born.

Although Mike Stone plays guitar in Queensryche, he decided to play bass and sing with Speed X. That left a slot for a drummer, and Nick knew Mike Froedge from DoubleDrive, a band Nick toured with in the past. Incidentally, Nick's pre-Black Label Society band, High Voltage, was a band used to see all the time back in my hometown of Johnstown, PA.

Speed X doesn't sound like either Black Label Society or Queensryche. The members cite groups like Black Sabbath, Led Zeppelin, The Beatles, and Pink Floyd as their influences, and the result is timeless, in your face metal. They preview the track "Speed" on their MySpace page, and they plan to get back into the studio in the Spring of 2008. Keep your eyes and ears out for Speed X. This is one band you can't afford to miss.

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