It was the fall of 1986 when bass player Jason Newsted, then a virtual unknown joined the ranks of the mighty Metallica, the fiery metal trio who had been looking for a replacement following the tragic death of predecessor Cliff Burton. After fifteen years of head banging shows in clubs, then arenas, and subsequently before sold out stadiums as the band’s popularity grew to unprecedented levels, Newsted found himself ensconced in creative differences with Metallica’s principal members and opted to leave the band and potentially millions of dollars on the table to pursue interests more akin to his own virtues. Fast forward to 2013 after stints with the likes of Ozzy Osbourne and Voivod, and bringing his Echobrain pet project to fruition, Newsted has returned with a brand new band and a forthcoming brand new album which utilizes his very moniker and his reputation as a full on metal purist as he puts his official stamp on his return to the genre.

In January of this year, the band entitled ‘Newsted’ released a four song EP, creatively titled ‘Metal,’ which successfully sold an estimated 6,000 plus copies upon its initial release, good enough to be ranked in the Billboard 200. Each track is a throwback to the early days of thrash, which old school Metallica fans seem to salivate over with each reminiscing memory. The band’s first single and video for ‘Soldierhead’ is a fast-paced, pounding track that is unrelenting from start to finish. And for the first time in his career, Jason Newsted is tackling vocal duties on the soon-to-be-released album himself, accompanied by drummer and former local Metallica tech Jesus Mendez Jr. and guitarist Jesse Farnsworth. Notably, the band also enlisted Staind’s Mike Mushok to round out the lineup for recording their debut album as well as the accompanying list of tour dates currently slated for about a dozen or so club shows domestically with more festivals and such to be rolled out in short order. Locally, we’ve already secured our tickets for the band’s sole stop in Manhattan at the Highline Ballroom on May 21st and plan on covering the entire show in kind.

The remaining tracks that round out the “Metal” EP are equally as catchy and inspired as the initial single. The slower serpentine pacing of ‘Godsnake,’ the melodic yet heavy ‘King of the Underdogs’ and the riff-laden ‘Skyscraper’ each seem capable enough metal tracks on their own, before considering the collection is just a smattering of what we’re likely to get upon the full album’s release. And if Newsted himself and the record company executives behind this project are to be believed, his penchant for delivering his own brand of creatively inspired heavy metal is as authentic and genuine as ever.

LocalBozo.com was fortunate to grab a few minutes with Newsted frontman and former Metallica bassist Jason Newsted. Listen in as we discuss how he assembled this new band, how he’s struck by its initial success and the loyalty of his longtime fans, what kind of stuff fans can expect from the live Newsted shows, and whether or not conceptually, this album was meant to be a throwback to the days of early thrash. Oh yeah, and we also touch upon his time in Metallica. Is he enjoying the creative musical freedoms that he was seeking outside of the band? Does he miss playing within the big Metallica machine? What is his relationship like with the band currently? Newsted also delves into a story about his first time playing in New York City among a slew of other topics in this exclusive and introspective interview. If you are a fan of Metallica and even if you aren’t, Jason Newsted’s love for playing music is real and uncompromised. Just have a listen for yourself.

- Jane Van Arsdale

The audio has been transcribed for your reading pleasure below.

LocalBozo.com: Jason, thanks so much for some time today man.

Jason Newsted: Oh heck yeah, thanks for having me.

LocalBozo.com: Jason, you seemed to assemble this band comprised of musicians with the same sort of metal blood coursing through their veins as it does yours. Talk about how this project (Newsted) came to fruition and how you chose these musicians to be involved.

JN: Jesus Mendez Jr.’s the drummer and Jesse Farnsworth’s the guitar player that made up the trio that recorded the “Metal” EP for the first four songs that everybody is hearing. Jesus started out as a local Metallica road crew guy back in the 90′s and then he was the drum tech on the Echobrain tour. And then we became good friends. Then he started playing over in the Chophouse with me about ten or eleven years ago. So we’ve got a lot of hours under our belts together as a rhythm section. He brought in Jesse Farnsworth about five years ago so as a trio we’ve been playing for about five years and just improv, slab-jams in the Chophouse, getting to know each other’s musicianship as it were. Got kind of a wild hair about recording some stuff when I went to play with Metallica at the 30th Anniversary shows and called Jesse and Jesus back out and I wrote a bunch of songs top to bottom, all the parts- guitar based, drum machines, all that stuff- and gave the music to them and they brought back their artistry and made these songs. So it’s cats that have paid a lot of dues and gotten a little bit of recognition and made their own records and made their own things and different styles of music, but now they get a chance to get some real recognition. They’ve got the hours in but now they’re gonna get the appreciation- in this bad. So that’s where the basis of it started for the trio and then we brought Mike Mushok in from Staind about seven weeks ago after some auditions and now we’re a four piece. We recorded the LP as a four piece and we’re going on out on tour with all these shows as a four piece band.

LocalBozo.com: Now was it your intention to handle vocal duties all along for along for Newsted?

JN: Oh yeah. I’ve been singing and kinda trying to get a little bit more of a singing voice, pulling away from the cookie monster all the time. In the last five or six years with projects that I’ve done and different people I’ve jammed with I’m trying to get a little more singing together and that was the intention. I had my own lyrics and my own words and my own scene and that’s how it developed and I’m very happy about it now actually. It’s a new feather in my cap and a new role to assume and it makes me feel strong man. I really am enjoying it a lot.

LocalBozo.com: The four song “Metal” EP sold more than 6,000 units its first week, it charted in the Billboard 200- for someone who’s enjoyed the success that you have in your career, be it playing with Metallica or Ozzy [Osbourne], how satisfying is that for you to see that kind of initial success for this project and the kid of loyal fans that follow you?

JN: The number one, the iTunes- I definitely thought that was cool. That’s fantastic. I’m all new to this thing- only six months or since this band started have I really embraced any kind of technology or started my website for the first time, and reaching out to people like that. Like the past six months realizing what fans are out there still or what new fans are there and everything. So that’s a whole new world for me. As far as the acceptance of the fans and the comments of the fans and that, that makes me feel great- makes me feel like I did something right along the way and also continue to do something right. This project was initially meant to just be a thing that Jesus and Jesse, and myself had. We said ‘you’re gonna have a cd, and I’m gonna have one and I’m gonna have one and we’re gonna drive around in the truck and jam this out and that’s how it’s gonna be.’ But we went in the initial time- in one week we recorded six or seven songs. Four of those ended up being on the “Metal” EP. Somebody hears “Soldierhead.” They played it for somebody else. They played it for somebody else. And two weeks later, Sony, Universal, Geffen- all these people want part of the music. Now we’re six months in, full world tour right here in front of us. All those labels I just named have been signed in different territories around the world. So it’s kind of a crazy thing. It just happened and by word of thumb or and word of mouth, it became what it became. My initial approach was not anything about it being given to the masses or shared with the masses. It’s something that transpired and so now I’m chasing it man. I’ve been given the opportunity again and now I’m gonna chase it just like I always do with any opportunity I’m given whether its Ozzy or Voivod or whatever.

LocalBozo.com: With some tour dates beginning to pile up, what can fans expect from the songs we haven’t heard released yet and when can we expect the first Newsted album to officially be released?

JN: They can expect more of the same or even better. It’s all heavy music. It’s not all fast but all heavy. I’ll go into this actually from that question. It was a really big day here yesterday at the Chophouse, kind of a landmark day for us. We’ve done demos and stuff here for 21 years with, you know, Sepultura guys and Exodus and Machine Head and all those cats through time. But this was the first time we’ve made an album in my studio- a full worldwide release. The record company dudes came up yesterday into my studio to listen to the music, that’s the first time that’s ever happened here. They came away going ‘Holy shit We really didn’t think the EP was gonna be able to be beat. But you’ve done it.’ I’m getting bumps just saying, just repeating their words. So that’s the first review from the dudes that are gonna work it to the world and they would tell me if it was shit They would just say ‘go back to the drawing board.’ They don’t fuck around, there’s a lot of money involved. So they say it’s either good enough or it’s not good enough but they said ‘you did it.’ So that’s what I got going so far. I like it. I know it’s heavy. I’m proud of the lyrics again. It’s all uniform, I mean it goes together- all the shit goes together. The influences are right out there on my sleeve like always, you know? You can hear the Motorhead, you hear the Sabbath, you hear it all- just like that. But for me, and what they said, they felt it was like listening to a Metallica album in the early days so that’s what we got going so far.

LocalBozo.com: I kind of had the same impressions- was the concept behind the album a throwback of sorts to the old Metallica or is this simply where you were musically as the songs were being written?

JN: Yes, just a culmination of all those different experiences with all the different styles of players, but mostly of course the forte in the metal. And then that’s just what came out and regurgitate all that- I still have quite a diverse listening practice- lots of different styles of music, lots of different languages of music, instruments that people invent themselves, always try to take on different sideways shit while still staying true to my teachers in Sabbath and stuff. So that’s really just what came out. I am metal first, no matter what. I like putting my foot into those other styles every once and awhile, faking my way around some of that with jazz players and stuff but metal is it for me and that’s what just comes out and that’s what came out on the new songs too. I put together 22 songs or something since October, and it’s all metal all the time.

LocalBozo.com: Newsted has more than a dozen dates now lined up at club shows including a May 21st stop locally here in Manhattan at the Highline Ballroom- talk if you can about some of your favorite memories of playing in New York City.

JN: Okay, there’s a couple. I’m gonna start with the very first one. Back in 1986 I joined [Metallica] and I think on the ninth day that I was in the band we were flying to Japan for the first time. We had played a couple of club shows just to kind of bust off the rust and then we flew to Japan. It was Metallica’s first time in Japan and of course my first time in Japan- my first time out of the states was on tour with Metallica in Japan. We were the fucking Beatles when we got there. None of us knew it was going to be like that. It was back entrances to hotels. It was screaming people. It was [Japanese voice] ‘Photo! Photo!’ You know? Crazy. Out of limousines, bouncing off the bumpers of the limousines and crawling over the cars, I mean crazy dude. I was loading my own gear with Flotsam [& Jetsam] for a gig on the 31st of October, for the last gig I played with Flotsam. On the 9th of November I was playing in Tokyo to a sold out crowd. Okay so that was my first experience- I go to Japan and they’re all really nice and courteous and that’s what I had to taste first the promoters- the most courteous promoters on the planet. Then we came from Japan to New York City and got off the bus and got two suitcases stolen in the first two minutes. [laughs] Whew, welcome to the world. And we were all so casual- I was anyway, man I’d just been in Japan where everybody’s all nice and honorable and girlfriend can walk down the street with no worries and that kind of crazy shit. So I came back to New York City, went to L’Amours went to see freaking Cro-Mags and Crumbsuckers and all that stuff man, digging it in the City with James, introduced me as the new bass player. Then we went and played the Felt Forum- that was the first gig that I played in New York, was the Felt Forum. That’s pretty cool. And I wiped out on stage. During ‘For Whom the Bell Tolls,’ but didn’t miss a note- went over on my shoulder, came back around- fortunately in ‘Bell Tolls’ it’s just [bass sounds], you know? Just big old whole notes so it didn’t really matter. But that’s what I really remember about my first New York experience. How’s that? I wiped out on stage bro at the Felt Forum.

LocalBozo.com: That’s awesome man. Listen, you guys are about to get out on the road- What can fans expect from the upcoming live Newsted shows- will the full length album be played in its entirety- can we expect some covers or some tunes from your old bands?

JN: I certainly want to share all the EP stuff with everybody because that’s what they’re gonna be familiar with so that will be within the sets. And on these shows- in these first dozen or whatever that we’re doing through the states to kind of get ourselves together, we are the headliner so I’m doing an hour five or an hour and ten. I have a repertoire of a bunch of other things I could delve into but I’m going to try to keep it to the Newsted band as much as possible. There’s a handful of Metallica things that I feel that I have the right to share with people that wouldn’t be weird. I don’t want to do like riding on laurels and riding on coattails. That’s not what I do. I never have I don’t plan on starting now. You know, there’s two people that ever sang in Metallica in 32 years. James [Hetfield] is one of them and I’m the other one. And so the things that I did sing and the people that know about my vocals in Metallica was ‘Creeping Death,’ and ‘Seek and Destroy,’ and ‘Whiplash’ you know? Old school stuff. Very good chance that I’ll be throwing some of that in just to make sure everybody knows what’s up in between the new Newsted stuff. And then as far as any of the other Metallica music that’s not the old school things, you know I got the writing credit for ‘Blackened,’ ‘and [Where the] ‘Wild Things’ [Are], and [My Friend of] ‘Misery’- so if I delve into that, a little intro here, little bass intro there, or twenty seconds of that, or three minutes of ‘Whiplash,’ that’s kind of what I plan on doing as far as any covers. I’ll always have a handful of Motorhead, a pocketful of Motorhead anyway, to bring that out whenever I want to. I’ve been playing and singing Motorhead since Flotsam days and so we’ll just reach for that when we need it. We’ve also chosen a couple other pieces of cover songs. Jesse Farnsworth is quite a good singer. He sings in his own band and so we’ve got a couple things that he might sing so I can kind of play some guitar and some bass in the set- mostly bass but some guitar too. So that’s kind of what you can expect. It’s going to be positive vibes. I want to make sure everybody knows how happy I am to be there with them and to see them and everything. I’m not going to be too worried about it being ‘Ahh fucking metal!” and all that, because we already are. I just want to bring it out positive and continue to spread that positive vibe that I always have tried to do.

LocalBozo.com: Looking back at your time with Metallica, you’ve sort of become an inspiration for artistic integrity in breaking away from something so successful because essentially your creativity was being stifled. Are you now reveling in sort of the freedom that you were hoping to find in leaving the band?

JN: Oh yeah man and there’s so many factors to that whole thing. But yeah I’m really enjoying myself now for sure. Being the man is a good thing. You know everybody likes a little applause and a little recognition and things like that. I’ve worked a long time to get to this place and so I’m really having a good time with it. I get to sing my own stuff my own way, and play it the way I want to- not necessarily the same every time. I like that a lot. I’m feeling powerful about it. And the thing with Metallica you know, it wasn’t so much that I was stifled as much as I wasn’t ready to do it either. My songwriting capabilities to be up to Metallica’s snuff as far as completing whole songs top to bottom, other than just giving the riffs for ‘Blackened’ or whatever- these things through time- man I threw dozens of riffs at those guys through all the years. It wasn’t like I wasn’t trying to get riffs in there. But as far as development of songwriting and everything, it wasn’t there yet. I’m ready to admit that. There’s no problem with that. I understand that. So it wasn’t all the thing about having two very controlling egos in the band that were, you know, leading our band. It was about me being able to come up with songs that were up to snuff, that were as good as James or whatever. So there’s no hard feelings there about any of that stuff.

LocalBozo.com: Alright now last question: considering you’ve jumped up on stage with them a handful of times since then, do you miss being a part of the big Metallica machine and how has your relationship with the band changed over the past couple of years?

JN: Sometimes, but most of the time not. I feel that I accomplished a lot in fifteen years. You know I played almost fifty countries with those guys, I certainly was able to make smart investments through time- to be able to pay for my nephew’s college and take care of my mom and get her a house- all the things that I’ve always wanted to do, that anybody would like to do if they were in that position I would hope. And so I’m very proud of that. I’m business partners with Metallica for the rest of time. We have collective investments and all this stuff so that’s forever. We’re better friends than we’ve ever been as far as that goes, you know? Everybody’s grown up and knows how to respect each other and each other’s families and things. It’s a good place to be in right now. I’m good where I am. They’re good where they are. The only times it really stings a little bit is, it’s always about the quest. It really comes down to the quest. I want to play as many places as I can play while I’m still able to play. And they went to some places that I haven’t been without me, you know like South Africa, United Arab Emirates, India. I never got to play those places before I got out- they weren’t really open to the westernized rock and roll music when I was still with them. And so now I have my own quest with my own band to get to those places. That’s the only time that I really miss Metallica is going to those really special places. When they’re the ones breaking the ground, that was something that I always took a lot of pride in, is being part of the band when we were the first ones to take our style of music to that region of the world. That was always, you know, whatever region it may have been, that was always such a powerful like victorious feeling and so that kind of thing I miss. But the rest of it- the hubbub and the demand and the sacrifice and being away from family and that kind of thing- I do not miss that part.

LocalBozo.com: Jason, anything else you’d like to leave for the readers of LocalBozo.com?

JN: Just anybody that’s interested in the old school metal and wants to come out and share it with us, I’d really love to see them. That’s all. You know? That’s really what it’s about and I’m happy to be doing it again and I hope that anybody that’s down with the old school metal or even interested- especially people that are skeptical, please come and check it out so we can set you straight.

LocalBozo.com: Fans, “Metal” the four track EP from metal band Newsted is available now wherever you buy your rock music, with a full length debut album to follow in short order. You can catch the band live when they come through New York City on May 21st at the Highline Ballroom and tickets are available now. We’ve been speaking with legendary bass player Jason Newsted, we’re so excited to see you guys on the 21st here in New York, and all the best of luck with the new album.

JN: Appreciate it very much for your help and please direct anybody and everybody that’s interested to newstedheavymetal.com for all the information, new merch stuff, old archival recordings, all that stuff. So I appreciate your help today man. We’ll see you out there.

On Friday night the stage was set for a pure metal meltdown, hosted inside Brooklyn’s own Saint Vitus Bar. The watering hole for all things heavy would host a major league lineup that would include the likes of Jungle Rot and headliners Suffocation. Both of these bands played killer sets and can easily play whole shows on their own. But on this night we were here for San Jose, California Gore-Death Metal legends Exhumed. And after a weekend of recovery, we are still shaking the chill off from the outstanding show.

Shortly after 11pm the men of Exhumed took the stage to a gigantic applause from the completely sold out room. Exhumed is still hot off their latest album “All Guts, No Glory,” and the lion’s share of the set reflected this in an extremely satisfying way. And with little dialogue with the crowd they launched into an early set that included pure death face melters like “The Beginning After The End,” “Dis-Assembly Line,” and “Through Cadaver Eyes.” The expert speed-death instrumentation paired brilliantly with the flawless sound proofing and design from the venue which drove the capacity crowd into a frenzy, yielding one of the best mosh pits this writer has seen in years.

With each song clocking in at right around three minutes, Exhumed was easily able to overload their set time with nearly twenty songs, providing the faithful with a palpable cornucopia of career spanning nuggets.  “Limb From Limb,” “Under The Knife,” and “Funereality” clearly showed how well these guys can satisfy the hunger of true blue death metal fans while at the same time throwing the thrash metal community tons of love. As a fan of both genres I was blown away hanging on every sweet lick from Bud Burke and Matt Harvey and double kick drum beat perfectly produced by Michael Hamilton.

As a horror fan like myself, you can really connect to many of the over the top gross imagery the band overstuffs into each track. The cover of 2011′s “All Guts, No Glory” has the boys donning zombie like make-up as they pretend (we hope) to rip flesh from bone. This gore themed frenzy carried well into their set as they chucked huge chunks of figurative meat into the crowd with pulse pounders like “Slaughtercult,” ”Casketkrusher,” and of course the title track to “All Guts, No Glory.” The horror-slasher vibes continued as they had a Leatherface dressed guy wield a chainsaw on stage. It doesn’t get better than that folks! Needless to say we were glad a bar was mere steps away to provide us with plenty of cheap cans of brew to mellow us slightly after an insane and intense set. It seriously looks like metal is back and taking no fucking prisoners.

- Jay Rubin

Arts & Culture

Friday, February 22nd – Journey into the creative culture of Brooklyn with RAW: natural born artists. The evening spanning event at Williamsburg’s Public Assembly will feature cutting edge artworks of progressive artists.  (RAW Artists)

Sports

Friday, February 22nd – It’s time to spread some Brooklyn love! Take one of a thousand (not really) Subway trains to the Barclays Center to see your Brooklyn Nets take on the Houston Rockets. Plenty of tickets are still available. So why not head across the river and make a night out of it! (Brooklyn Nets Tickets)

Music & Entertainment

Friday, February 22nd – Movie release day. Quiet night tonight? Check out the films opening this weekend. Do you smell what, “The Rock” is cooking, at the box office? That’s right Dwayne Johnson is back on the big screen taking over as one of the biggest action stars going today. “Snitch” (PG-13) finds Johnson as a father going deep undercover to free his son who was set up on drug charges. Keri Russell heads to supernatural fare in, “Dark Skies” (PG-13). This flick seems to be a retread of all the popular paranormal genre pieces hitting the cinema these days. But we’ll see if it proves to stand on it’s own. 

Friday, February 22nd – Norway and most of Europe are producing some of the greatest Metal acts working today. There’s just something about coming from a land where Vikings did their deed that makes for great headbanging. Progressive black metalers, Enslaved will take the Bowery Ballroom stage this evening to prove their worth and take no prisoners. The night is stacked with fantastic supporting acts like Austin, Texas’s own Ancient VVisdown. (Bowery Ballroom)

Nightlife

Friday, February 22nd – Tonight it’s seriously time to dress to impress as you venture down the stairs into the ever popular Cellar Bar! The NOISE group presents a fashion night out with hosts Synderela and Posh Agency at Bryant park Hotel. (Cellar Bar)

Other

Saturday, February 23rd – From Bond to Bourne and Austin Powers to Archer everyone is guaranteed a great time at this inaugural winter party! Tickets include 4 hours of cocktails and appetizers with a top shelf DJ at the Club’s private townhouse in midtown, as well as entrance to the after-party and $500 in casino chips. All while supporting an amazing cause! (Spy Party Tickets)

And as Always, Droid users- make sure to Download the official LocalBozo.com App for FREE from Google Play (formerly the Android Market)! Get all the information we can fit onto your smart phone, NOW!

Hollywood and it’s infamous Sunset Strip unleashed some of this writer’s favorite rock acts from the 1980′s. These bands embodied pure rock decadence while carrying an arsenal of killer tunes to launch them into the stratosphere of stardom. Yet more recently, bands of this larger than life ilk seem to now sit in an indefinite state of hibernation. One of the bands at the forefront of a current rock music resurgence is the collective Black Veil Brides. And since 2009, these men in black leather, hair and face paint, have given a whole new generation of fans a reason to raise their horns high and proud into the air.

The Brides’ 2011 album “Set The World On Fire” showed how seamlessly they could blend grinding metal guitars, arena rock and ballads together, garnering them plenty of mainstream rock attention. The success of the album and the band’s rapid self promotion skills sent them across the globe touring relentlessly. Back here in the states, the group is a mainstay on popular summer outings like the unstoppable train that is the annual “Van’s Warped Tour.”

On January 8th, the boys in black will release “Wretched and Divine: The Story of the Wild Ones,” which may be their most complex and rewarding album to date. This work, which could easily be described as a concept record, stretches to nineteen highly layered tracks creatively detailing introspective and poignant feelings of fear and paranoia, amongst a sea of other emotional concepts. And even though the album doesn’t officially drop for a few more weeks, twenty lucky diehard fans were given the rare opportunity to hear “Wretched and Divine” in it’s entirety on Wednesday night at the Universal Records offices, right here in New York City. Once the album began to play all in attendance fell silent in order to hear every vocal and tasty riff. And for nearly an hour we were treated to an audible trip through the bands psyche. Each track provides a unique twist, with nothing repeated, and we are pleased to report that the album sounds great. The upcoming standout tracks include: “We Don’t Belong,” “Devil’s Choir,” “Nobody’s Hero,” and the surefire breakout single, “In The End.” Once the album concluded we saw smiles instantly transfix on each of the black lipped and leather wearing fans showing how much they loved the experience. Directly after the listening, the fans were treated to a five minute preview of the companion film “Legion of the Black,” featuring the band and a fully fleshed out story. But in the end the real surprise for the fans came storming from the back doors. Black Veil Brides’ front man Andy Biersack came out of nowhere to the joyous shock of the mostly female hardcore fans. Biersack hit the listening party with a blazing smile on his face, joking with the crowd, taking questions from those who were actually able to catch their breath and of course signing tons of autographs. The LocalBozo crew was fortunate to sit down with Biersack after this exciting fan encounter to discuss the upcoming album, its structure including guest appearances, and their subsequent tour. Enjoy the interview and be sure to catch Black Veil Brides when they hit New York City’s Best Buy Theater on January 25th!

- Jay Rubin

LocalBozo.com:  The new Black Veil Brides album “Wretched and Divine: The Story of the Wild Ones” comes out on January 8th. But one must look first to 2011′s “Set The World On Fire” and songs like “Fallen Angels” which were epic. Yet on the new album you guys brought it to a whole new level. Please give us some insight into the process the band went through to make this all happen so cohesively and just bringing in a ton of instrumentation like violin, effects and of course plenty of haunting vibes.

Andy Biersack:  You know, I think we wanted to do something that was on an entirely different scale. It was something completely different then we have ever done before. So the importance of playing stylishly with the sonic level of the record was very cool. It was something we have never done before, you know? We had to relearn the way we write songs, because we wanted to involve a lot of orchestration and soundscapes. While using instrumentation we have never used before. It was definitely a difficult learning curve to get used to that stuff because it was self imposed. We wanted to do it so we knew we had to learn it to do this. It turned out great and we’re really proud of it. I think we wanted to avoid making a follow up record to our last record. We wanted to do something that was it’s own piece, that could stand on it’s own and be it’s own entity in itself. And I feel like we succeeded in that.

LocalBozo.com:  With nearly twenty songs on “Wretched and Divine,” it can easily be seen that this was a gigantic undertaking between an immense amount of writing and orchestration. Yet throughout the overall “story” featured throughout the record there exists these mini bookend moments as seen on songs “Done For You” through “Lost It All” (Tracks 14-16) where you start with a ballad and end with one. Were these singled out departures a premeditated choice?

AB:  When we first started writing the record it was all based on a short story I had written. This story of the “Wild Ones,” which I wrote on a flight back from Europe. It was just an idea I had and not something we were definitely going to make a record out of. But I loved the idea of involving this comic book-esque “1984″ “V For Vendetta” kind of story into what we are doing. So we started making a record with that as the intention. Let’s make this concept record. Let’s do this (said the band). And very quickly within this process we set out to make a concept record we were cutting ourselves off from writing great songs. You start to bog yourself down with, “Okay does this work within the context of the story?” And “Does this lyric work here?” So we decided to take off the idea of the concept record for a few weeks and we just wrote. We wrote as many songs as we could. What we kept finding was no matter what we did, we kept referring back to the story. And it was just naturally happening. We were so naturally involved with it. That even when we were intentionally not trying to, we were still writing about the story. And so at that point we realized if we do it more casual and just write as we would write, the story is going to come through. And when we completed with our writing, we saw how all of these aspects fit into place.

LocalBozo.com: In addition to the new record having a very ambitious concept there are also guest artists featured such as Bert McCracken from The Used. Was his involvement based off of an existing friendship or did you just feel that he was a good factor to bring in?

AB:  I met Bert through John Feldmann, the producer of our album. John was very instrumental in the beginning of The Used’s career, producing their first record and broke them. So they are very close friends. Bert and I met and got to talking about literature and different stories. We began to chat about the concept of the album and he really liked it. And bringing him into the fold was as simple as, “Hey want to come and sing on the record?” There was a song that I thought was perfect for him to do a high harmony on the verse with his natural singing voice to make it sound more manic. It gives the song more aggression. The entire process was simple. He just came in one day, finished it in two or three takes and did an awesome job. And from all of this we’ve become friends.

LocalBozo.com: Black Veil Brides hit the road on a major tour beginning January 4th in Las Vegas. Who do you guys have filling the opening spots along the way and why?

AB: William Control(Aiden), who does the voice of “F.E.A.R.” throughout the new record will be joining us on tour first and foremost. But when it comes to younger, fresh bands opening up for us it reminds me of when we were just starting out. Whenever we wanted to open up for big bands, we never got those shows. My kind of band would never get shows. The club owners would have their favorites, you know the, “Bar Band” that played the hits that everybody liked. We haven’t had local bands on our shows in years since we first started touring. So I decided that I wanted to give an opportunity for young, local bands from every city that we roll to open up the show. They can sell tickets, etc. The “Brides” will be playing a two hour long show, so there will be a lot of time before we play. So, in every city we open it up to bands that are similar to us or bands that are influenced by us. If they are interested in playing with us they will enter into a “Battle Of The Bands” type contest to try and get an opening slot shot. Ultimately it will give them the exposure we never got coming up.

LocalBozo.com:  Andy, thank you so much for your time. Please feel free to leave your fans, new listeners and the readers of LocalBozo.com with anything additional.

AB: Honestly, I am excited for people who have maybe never heard of the band to hear something like this. It’s such a community that our fan base has and the people who support the band. The fans mean absolutely everything to us and we do so much with them, and involve ourselves with them so much. It will be interesting for people who have never listened to the band before to pick up this record and hear what it is that all the kids covered in paint do.

No matter what type of music you listen to, you name me a band and I’ll show you just how life on the road has changed them. Years of touring and differing personalities have broken up and sometimes rearranged some of the greatest outfits in music. Founded in 1982 as one of the forefathers of the British thrash movement, Onslaught is one such band, having seen members come and go for just about thirty years. Now with a stellar lineup of past and present players these metal Gods are traversing the states showing the good old USA how to really bang your head. On Saturday night, Brooklyn became the latest stop on Onslaught’s domestic run.

It must be said that Saint Vitus is a tremendous bar and concert venue for metal fans. The front bar serves up reasonably priced booze and killer bun sandwiches while random headbanging hits blare over the speakers. In the back area lives a venue that has been perfectly soundproofed to capture every shredding lick put out by whatever band is on stage. And on this spring night, it would be Onslaught’s turn to use this space to their advantage.

Luckily for us, the latest and perhaps the finest incarnation of Onslaught stormed Greenpoint’s house of heavy metal playing before a sold out crowd. This tour would mark the band’s first outing in the states in support of their new album, ‘Sound of Violence.’ The bill was loaded with killer support acts with Indestructible Noise Command and Mpire of Evil, featuring members of the legendary band Venom, filling out the undercard, forming a seriously well-rounded rock bill.

Longtime lead singer Sy Keeler made his presence felt as soon as he hit the Saint Vitus stage. The hulking front man has a singing range few possess, switching from a high pitched scream to a low growl at the drop of a dime. And with the help of members representing various years of the band’s existence it was hard not to marvel at how tight these musicians play. Andy Rosser-Davies and Nige Rockett shredded through the band’s deep catalog melting the faces of fans new and old. Peering through the crowd I could spot even the scariest of metal heads with huge smiles on their faces. A hard accomplishment indeed. But when you’re a band with such a rich history, it simply comes naturally.

The band gave a ton of love to their latest album by ripping through the tracks to the pleasure of the crowd. Unlike some of Onslaught’s brethren, their new music still retains the hard edge that put them on the map in the first place. Huge moshpits formed as they played new songs like, ‘Born for War.’ Even if you weren’t in the pit, fans could be seen banging their heads with horns held proudly in the air. It was truly a metal show, for die hard metal fans.

- Jay Rubin

Last week, LocalBozo.com brought you full coverage of Adrenaline Mob’s ‘Omertà’ release party at New York City’s Hiro Ballroom. In a word, the show rocked. The band was extremely tight, playing every song on their debut album plus a few surprises. In a music world filled with disposable imitators, the collective band of incredible musicians- Russell Allen, John Moyer, Mike Orlando, and Mike Portnoy- are out to change the misconceptions of what a supergroup can become.

If you enjoyed our coverage, and concert photos from the show, then you’re in luck. LocalBozo.com was fortunate to chat with the legendary drummer Mike Portnoy and newly added bassist John Moyer (formerly of Disturbed) before the high energy release party. Both gentleman were quite busy before the show with fan meet and greets and their respective families in attendance for this momentous occasion. Portnoy and Moyer spoke candidly to LocalBozo about forming the new band, Adrenaline Mob’s longevity, and their outstanding cover version of Duran Duran’s ‘Come Undone’ featuring Halestorm’s Lzzy Hale. Plus you’ll get to see some of the band’s live performance and the response of the night’s raucous crowd on hand. With a slew of dates yet to be listed and a busy summer on tap, check out adrenalinemob.com for everything you need to know before the band becomes a household name.

- Jay Rubin

The popularity of craft beer knows no bounds. Its flavor characteristics and innovative brewing process have evolved from somethine once considered ‘simple’ to intricacies unmatched by the likes of fine winemaking. With so many different methods and flavors, it’s no surprise that we’ve stumbled upon a coastal battle which has been bubbling on the surface for some time. It exists in the rap world and in oysters and now, in craft beers and only a head to head taste test would determine a definitive winner. On Friday night, we headed to Brooklyn’s home of all things hard rock and heavy metal- Lucky 13- for the East Coast vs. West Coast Heavy Metal Brew Tour.

Victory Brewing Company of Downingtown, PA and Smuttynose Brewing Company Portsmouth, NH represented the east coast while the wild west was repped by Ballast Point Brewing Company of San Diego, CA and Lagunitas Brewing Company of Petaluma, CA, respectively. These highly popular craft brands would make it tough to pick a winner. Luckily great beer prices, face melting metal spun by DJ Raphael Hunter Reyes, and some Go-Go dancers (more on that later) made the challenge of picking a winner not much easier, but a heck of a lot more fun.

The reps from each of these top notch craft breweries were in attendance to point drinkers in the right direction and give them some info on each brand. I decided to start on the west side with Lagunitas’ ‘A Little Sumpin’ Sumpin’ Ale.’ Eager to try something new, this would be my first taste of the beer. The ‘Sumpin’ is an America Pale Wheat Ale. Upon the first taste I noticed its medium body with a delicious grapefruit hop flavor that stays strong well into the aftertaste. Very tasty stuff indeed. I then quickly made my way to the second west coast beer, ‘Calico Copper Amber Ale’ by Ballast Point. As a huge fan of caramel beers, I was instantly attracted to it, and it did not disappoint. Wow, West Coast- good form, sir, good form.

It was time to head back to my neck of the woods and meet up with an old friend, Smuttynose and their IPA. The IPA was being poured on draft and retained all that hoppy flavor I have come to love since picking it up for the first time in college. It is a solid pale ale with the perfect balance of hops, which appear to morph towards the finish with a subtle citrus flavor. Finally, the battle concluded symbolically with a trip into Pennsylvania for the Victory Prima Pils. This Downington favorite was the lightest beer sampled that night. Since it is a traditional German-style pilsner, it is lighter then most mass marketed styles but it retains a flavor that is unmatched.

Surprise surprise- each of the beers we sipped on were excellent. It just goes to show how advanced the craft beer movement has become. Lucky 13 was the perfect venue for an event of this caliber- marrying tasty suds while banging your head to a great mix of metal. And all the while, highly talented women performed go-go routines on the strategically placed pole on the bar. The East Coast vs. West Coast Heavy Metal Brew Tour rolls on (schedule below). Be sure to head out to all the great bar locations to judge for yourself. Don’t forget to throw your horns up!

- Jay Rubin

The rock music genre is an always changing animal, one which must grow and adapt to remain relevant. One of the most prominent keepers of the rock faith is the mysterious Swedish band known simply as Ghost. The group, led by someone who can only be referred to as a ‘demonic cardinal,’ initially formed in 2008 and since their inception, Ghost has taken the metal world by storm. Wednesday night, a sold out Bowery Ballroom played host to the “Nameless Ghouls” of Ghost who kicked off their “13 Dates Of Doom Tour.”

Even before the house was opened, the line snaked down the Bowery with eager metal fans clamoring to get a view of Ghost. Many on line were lucky enough to catch the band during a one-off date last year, while many like myself were seeing them for the first time on this night. Once doors opened, metalers were treated to two tremendous hard rocking opening acts. First up was Austin, Texas’ Ancient VVisdom. This four piece got the night kicked off on the right foot, with their alternative form of doom meets sludge metal. The lead singer Nathan Opposition, who also plays percussion, commanded the crowd admirably. The band’s skills were on display especially on “Devil Brain,” pounding on the drums like a judge’s gavel, pointing sticks at the crowd handing down a verdict. Very cool stuff indeed.

No time was left to catch one’s breath when Toronto’s Blood Ceremony erupted on stage. And that’s a good thing! The Canadian four piece is led by frontwoman Alia O’Brien, who aside from being a haunting vocalist, also plays the flute and organ seamlessly during the live performance. The band ripped through their thirty minute set, tantalizing the packed house with a turned up to eleven version of folk and seventies new wave metal. When they announced just one remaining song to play, the crowd pleaded for more. Blood Ceremony obliged and left us with “Oliver Haddo,” a perfect send off from a band that we will definitely re-visit the next time they come to New York City.

The witching hour had approached and as such, the stage the suddenly went dark. There was a blue hue bouncing off three banners which resembled that of a Church’s stained glass. Smoke appeared to roll in from out of nowhere as three ghouls all cloaked in black slowly made their way to the stage, grabbing their instruments. The crowd crushed to the front and it was now time for Ghost to finally serenade us with their dark sermon. The band- minus their demonic lead singer- ripped into “Genesis,” showing off their serious music chops. Not soon after the song had finished, the ‘satanic cardinal’ took to a raucous ovation from the tightly packed, hungry metal fans.

Whoever this guy really is doesn’t matter. His unmistakable and remarkable stage presence on display through this persona was enough to satisfy the entire room. From the word go, the mysterious band of Swedes tore through what appeared to be every track from debut album, “Opus Eponymous.” Each live version of these songs elevated the amazing studio album to new heights. Little time was left for banter with the crowd, but whenever he thanked us, people went crazy.

The band was extremely tight with both vocals and instrumentation. The live renditions of “Elizabeth,” “Death Knell,” “Ritual,” and a dark cover of The Beatles’ classic “Here Comes The Sun” both mesmorized the audience before melting their collective faces. Horns were raised high as the crowd song along knowing each and every word throughout the band’s set. This lyrical devotion was overly apparent when they played “Satan Prayer” which was the best song performance of the evening. During the chorus, ‘the cardinal’ gave the metal hungry crowd several chances to sing the hook, often staring directly at us with his piercing eyes, using his hands to lead us like some type of satanic conductor.

Not a single moment was wasted during their set, as the band’s haunting stage presence filled the space between songs. If you are a fan of hard rock, and metal I cannot recommend these guys enough. Try to see these guys at an intimate venue like the Bowery Ballroom while you can, because they are on the verge of blowing up here in the states like they have in Europe. In a world with such cookie cutter music, we need a dangerous band like Ghost to entertain while also creeping us out at the same time. The true rock spectacle is alive and well, and its name is Ghost. Sweet dreams fiends.

- Jay Rubin

With the holidays approaching, the stage at the Best Buy Theater was transformed Saturday night into a wild version of Santa’s workshop at the North Pole. It was definitely not just another night in New York City as glam rock icons Twisted Sister would celebrate their quasi-annual “Twisted Christmas” extravaganza among a fervent sea of festive fans. The Long Island bred quintet looked right at home, surrounded by an elaborate stage setup equipped with the pageantry of an arena show in an all too intimate club setting.

Be it their anthemic songs which continue to reinvent the band or the festiveness of the Christmas season, the Theater was packed with enthusiastic fans seeking a rock music release of their holiday cheer. The show, a continuous celebration of Twisted’s 2006 holiday album, “A Twisted Christmas,” would mesh timeless holiday tunes infused with the band’s signature sound, with the throwback rock staples of their original music, corralled from playing together for over thirty years.

The velvety red curtains opened to a fog filled stage, with jittery elves in costumes working to amp the frenzied crowd, as each band member emerged for their first appearance. The loudest ovation was reserved for frontman Dee Snider, dressed in full makeup and full Santa suit, pulled out to center stage on a fire-laden sleigh by some of the most scantily clad ‘Little Helpers’ that you’ll see outside of a Rick’s Cabaret. His trademark curly blond hair was draped over his torn pink and black jumpsuit underneath, as he looked and sounded remarkably similar to the mid-eighties version of himself when Twisted Sister rose to its initial prominence.

Considering the band plays fewer than thirty shows a year these days, Twisted Sister looked and performed remarkably hungry, reveling in each moment they shared together on stage. Both fun and nostalgic, Snider and company strode out front and center, opening with “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas,” Twisted’s “The Kid’s Are Back” from 1983’s “You Can’t Stop Rock ‘n’ Roll” and a ramped up version of Irving Berlin’s “White Christmas.” Guitarist and founding member Jay Jay French dressed up for the occasion, donning a tuxedo, while growling bass player Mark “The Animal” Mendoza rocked a black, cheetah skinned vest and matching cuffs- both cheerfully paraded back and forth across the stage, around a gyrating Snider, whose gravelly voice screamed the familiar lyrics directly into his microphone, while clutching his hot pink mic stand.

Traditional Christmas favorites like “I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus,” “Deck the Halls,” “Oh Come All Ye Faithful,” and “I’ll Be Home for Christmas” were merry rock takes on old fashioned standards. As the crowd sang along to Snider’s every utterance, two of the elves would return to opposite sides of the stage, shooting out a foamy snow which would blanket fans standing in the first few rows. The crowd was especially telling- many long time Twisted Sister fans- affectionately labeled “SMFs” or Sick Mother Fuckers, but also many teenagers as well, showing just how much the band’s music has transcended generations through the birth of new mediums. The band proved that a fun, energetic rock show is relatable to any age- proven by the crowd response to Twisted originals like “You Can’t Stop Rock ‘n’ Roll,” and “The Price.”

As the main set was winding down, Snider approached each member of the band, inquiring as to what gifts they’d be asking for from Santa for their ‘Heavy Metal Christmas.’ When the question was posed back to the outlandish vocalist, he smirked toward the crowd, who were collectively awaiting this very moment, before proclaiming “I Wanna Rock,” and the crowd exploded with emphatic rock pleasure as the main set concluded. The band’s absence was brief, however as Twisted launched into perhaps their most recognizable number, encoring with the iconic 1980s single “We’re Not Gonna Take It,” closing out the set and sending spirited fans back out to a chilly Times Square evening.

It is difficult to appropriately praise a show of this caliber- since much of it was such a seasonal pleasure and the rest of it was a reminiscent walk down rock music’s memory lane. By all accounts, Twisted Sister should have simply fallen into the realm of once outstanding but since forgotten, flash in the pan rock acts from the 1980s, like so many of their talented brethren. But judging by the success of this show, and the capabilities the entire band still possesses with the same enthusiasm that they exhibited in their prime, it is a shame that Twisted Sister doesn’t utilize the entire month of December by performing this show for fans in other cities. Their Christmas show if nothing else proved that fans of their early work are still around and will come out to support them, and that younger fans appreciate their music and want to see these older rockers parade around onstage. While new music may not be on the horizon, there remains a market, far wider than New York City, for keeping legendary songs and legendary personalities like those in Twisted Sister alive in perpetuity.

- Jane Van Arsdale

Since 1998, the band All That Remains sports one of the more eclectic collection of musicians that you’ll ever see in person. A female bass player. A gargantuan lead guitarist. A small statured singer that can scream vociferously and also harmonize melodically. How this band of misfits all managed to find each other might be just as impressive as how cohesively they mesh together on stage and make their live shows work. With five full length studio albums in the can, and seemingly just peaking as live performers while hitting their stride in songwriting, All That Remains is clearly one of the most exciting metal bands touring today.

You may remember several weeks back at how impressed our outlet was with their performance on the Share the Welt Tour with headliners Five Finger Death Punch at Times Square’s Best Buy Theater. After the release of 2008’s “Overcome,” the song ‘Two Weeks’ catapulted All That Remains into the mainstream, with ‘Forever in Your Hands,” continuing the same momentum as the band worked on 2010’s “For We Are Many.” Singles like “Hold On” and “The Last Time” have proven favorites at rock stations (whichever ones are left) and on satellite radio, and round out what was an already formidable live set.

LocalBozo.com was fortunate enough to sit down with All That Remains guitarist Mike Martin on the band’s visit to New York City for an exclusive video interview. Watch as we discuss the band’s growth in emerging from a crowded Massachusetts rock scene in the late 1990s to his frustrations with the current state of music, writing songs on the road, and being on the road for the Share the Welt Tour with Five Finger Death Punch.

For more information on All That Remains and for remaining dates on the Share the Welt Tour, check out allthatremainsonline.com.

- Jane Van Arsdale