Rock For Ronnie Concert In The Park Benefiting Ronnie James Dio Stand Up and Shout Cancer Fund All-Star Talent Announced


 

The Rock For Ronnie Concert in the Park will take place on Sunday afternoon, May 7, 2023 at Los Encinos Historic Park in Encino, benefiting the. Ronnie James Dio Stand Up and Shout Cancer Fund (https://www.diocancerfund.org). The Rock For Ronnie event, slated to be an afternoon of live rock music, silent and live auctions, food trucks and fun geared to the entire family, is the cancer charity’s first post-Covid event back in the park. The event just named a who’s who of Rock and Heavy Metal luminaries for the finale/all-star jam.

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ALBUM REVIEW: Reef – Shoot Me Your Ace


Nineties brit-rockers Reef are back with Shoot Me Your Ace (Raging Sea), their second album since their 2018 reunion. With original members Gary Stringer (vocals) and Jack Bessant (bass) joined by newer members Jessie (Ronnie Wood’s son) on guitar, Luke Bullen on drums, and the production and guitar work of Andy Taylor, Shoot Me Your Ace shows a band firing on all cylinders.

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Cinderella Guitarist Jeff LaBar Has Died, Age 58


Legendary Hard Rock Guitarist Jeff LaBar has died. He was 58 and no cause of death has been revealed. According to a published report from Metal Sludge, LaBar’s passing was confirmed by his son Sebastian. He wrote on social media: “So i just got the call… Jeff LaBar, my father, my hero, my idol, passed away today. I’m currently at a loss for words. I love you pop!” Although Jeff was not a founding member of the band, he joined in time to perform on the debut album Night Songs. We send our sympathy out to Jeff’s family, friends, and fans at this time. Continue reading


Corey Taylor (Slipknot, Stone Sour) Writes The Forward for Definitive History Book of Hair Metal


Slipknot and Stone Sour frontman Corey Taylor has written the forward to “Nothin’ But A Good Time”, described as the definitive, no-holds-barred oral history of 1980s hard rock and hair metal, will be released on March 16, 2021 via St. Martin’s Press. 1980s hard rock was a hedonistic and often intensely creative wellspring of escapism that perfectly encapsulated — and maybe even helped to define — a spectacularly over-the-top decade. Indeed, fist-pumping hits like Twisted Sister’s “We’re Not Gonna Take It”, Mötley Crüe’s “Girls, Girls, Girls”, and Guns N’ Roses‘ “Welcome To The Jungle” are as inextricably linked to the era as Reaganomics, Pac-Man, and E.T.Continue reading


Extreme, Tom Keifer, Sebastian Bach, Dokken, etc Confirmed For Cathouse Live


Cathouse Live

Riki Rachtman’s World Famous Cathouse will return to Southern California for one night as Cathouse Live At Irvine Meadows on Saturday, August 15, 2015 at Irvine Meadows Amphitheatre (recently known as Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre) in Irvine, CA. Riki Rachtman created the original rock dance club that dominated the Hollywood scene from 1986-1993. The lineup confirmed for this evening include:

All-Star Jam
Extreme
Tom Keifer (Cinderella)
Sebastian Bach
Dokken
Faster Pussycat
Stephen Pearcy (the voice of RATT)
Saigon Kick
Gilby Clarke
Dangerous Toys
L.A. Guns
Junkyard
Trixter
Autograph
Black ‘N Blue
Tracii Guns
Enuff Z’ Nuff
BulletBoys
Bang Tango
Jetboy
Pretty Boy Floyd
Tuff
Little Caesar

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Bloodsoaked Making All Four Albums Available As Free Downloads


bloodsoaked

North Carolina one man death metaller Bloodsoaked has made all four of their albums available via free downloads. Go here and download 2007’s Brutally Butchered, 2009’s Sadistic Deeds…Grotesque Memories, 2011’s The Death of Hope, and 2014’s Religious Apocalypse for free.

The most recent of the four, Religious Apocalypse, was released last year on Comatose Music and included new cuts, live tracks and brutalized renditions of Cinderella‘s “Shake Me” and Ratt‘s “You’re in Love.”

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Monsters of Rock Cruise 2015 Confirms Lineup


monster of rock cruise 2015

The Monsters of Rock Cruise will be setting sail for the Bahamas this April 18-22 2015 aboard the MSC Divina, the four-day-and-night cruise celebrating the original legendary Castle Donington music festival held in England in 1980, will showcase Heavy Metal and Hard Rock music icons, including artists on the original festival bill.

This year’s cruise itinerary is kicked off by a two-night pre-party event at Miami’s Magic City Casino on April 15, featuring performances by Queensryche and Lillian Axe, and April 17, featuring performances by Stryper, Tyketto, Gabbie Rae and a special surprise guest artist.

The official line-up for the 2015 Monsters of Rock Cruise is as follows:

Tesla
Europe
Night Ranger
Tom Keifer of Cinderella
Extreme
KIX
Queensryche
Krokus
The Winery Dogs
Stryper
Lita Ford
Black Star Riders
Y&T
Zebra
Black ’N Blue
Faster Pussycat
Honeymoon Suite
Tyketto
Keel
John Corabi
Kip Winger
Michael Sweet
Richie Kotzen
Mike Tramp
Joel Hoekstra
Derek St. Holmes
Ron Keel
Leatherwolf
Babylon AD
Bang Tango
Heavens Edge
Frank Hannon Band
Lillian Axe
Rhino Bucket
Pamela Moore
Gabbie Rae
Atomic Punks
AJ’s Bravehearts

In addition, Eddie Trunk, host of VH1’s That Metal Show and “The Trunk Nation” on Sirius XM, is returning this year as Master of Ceremony. Eddie will be assisted by an all-star lineup of personalities including Luc Carl from XM’s Hair Nation, Nikki Blakk from 107.7 FM’s “The Bone,” Keith Roth, host on Sirius XM’s Hair Nation/Boneyard, Don Jamieson, comedian, co-host of VH1’s That Metal Show; Craig Gass, comedian/actor from Howard Stern’s channel on Sirius XM and DJ Will, music supervisor of VH1’s “That Metal Show,” In addition, this year’s cruise will feature a “Monster” version of the world famous Cathouse nightclub, complete with original proprietors Taime Downe of Faster Pussycat and Riki Rachtman of MTV’s Headbangers Ball.

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Bloodsoaked – Religious Apocalypse


Bloodsoaked-Religious-Apocalypse

Hailing from Raleigh, North Carolina, Bloodsoaked is the vision of one Peter Hasselbrack, a scene veteran who handles all the instruments and songwriting himself, and as can be expected by his chosen band name, plays brutal death metal. New EP Religious Apocalypse (Comatose Music) is actually lengthier than all three of their previous full length outings, but instead of a whole set of new material, we are instead offered three new tracks, two covers and four live cuts. For an introduction to Bloodsoaked it serves a fine purpose. Unfortunately any new listeners are unlikely to hang around too long for there’s little worth seeing here.

As with most brutal death metal bands, there’s a strong emphasis on gore, trebly, low-end guitars and guttural vocals, although to his credit, Hasselbrack has decided to branch out slightly by attempting to imitate early Deicide in the new tracks on offer, especially on ‘Abomination’ and the title track. Opening number ‘Devouring’ features some hefty chugs and a satisfyingly thick bottom end, although the drumming and songwriting remain strictly average. Far better are the covers of ‘Shake Me’ by Cinderella and ‘You’re in Love’ by Ratt, which are fun in a goofy way, although it may be a case of smearing lipstick on a dead hooker as these songs were terrible to begin with. The live tracks are well recorded, but nothing special with even the cheers at the end sounding half-arsed.

With death metal in rude health, bands like Bloodsoaked really should be trying to raise their game rather than relying on standard formulas and silly covers. Existing fans may lap it up but for the band to rise above their current place in the also-rans, they will need to offer much more in future.

5/10

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JAMES CONWAY