CRY OF THE WOLF MAGAZINE

      Dave Meniketti Y&T   Dave Meniketti has seen and done it all. A   true guitar icon, his band Y&T, has been a nonstop juggernaut of rock and roll. For over 40 years they have criss crossed the world delivering such songs as "Forever", "Meanstreak," and the celebrated "summertime Girls". I had the chance to speak with Dave on his career, highlights and the legacy of Y&T's music   Y&T celebrates 40 years. What are your thoughts on the longevity of the band? Pretty amazing. Who knew. We just go out there and play music. All of a sudden here we are and it's 40 years later. It's really kind of shocking to me. I don't feel like the kind of guy who has been at the same job for 40 years. I guess that is the good thing about the gig. Who were your influences growing up? Hendrix was certainly one of them. I actually got a chance to see him play before he died. That kind of freaks people out bec...

        Iced Earth Plagues Of Babylon This is the album that should set the bar higher than before. Plagues Of Babylon is a tour de force of powerful metal riffs and insanely gifted lyrics. This is the reason why so many metal fans around the world love this band. Consistent, powerful, and passionate. Not every day the vocalist from one of metals biggest bands calls you. Stu Block, vocalist, was sincere and laid back and he was very excited to talk about Iced Earths latest offering, Plagues Of Babylon.   Congrats on the upcoming release. Sounds amazing. Cool man. Glad you liked it. Always excited to bring metal to the masses.   How do you prepare mentally and vocally for the studio and tour? Just try to keep a clear head. Get a lot of sleep and stay hydrated.   Make sure I'm rehearsed and all that stuff.   Are you the main lyricist or is it a shared job. John   is the riff machine. So he h...

      Swords of Steel Volume 2      As many times as people say they love heavy metal, more often than not you will hear people put it down. That this music is nothing more than noise performed and recorded by a bunch of mindless degenerates.   But as fans and true metal heads know, heavy metal is an extremely complex and noteworthy art form. The views and usage of musical elements combined with the incredible lyricism of the artists is undeniable. Here in Swords of Steel volume 2 you will read tales by some of those artists. Thought provoking and creative narratives of literary gems the world should read. With an introduction by David DeFeis of the band VIRGIN STEELE, this amazing tome of regal and searing tales of swords, wizards and sorcery begins. Build your fires, gather your steel, notch your bows, this is epic story writing on a Tolkien scale. Penned by some of the best underground metal bands of the age. Bands like, MANIL...

              Amon Amarth  Jomsviking Metal Blade Records 25 March 2016 Arriving to shores around the world soon, the newest viking metal onslaught from Amon Amarth, Jomsviking, is a battleaxe of battering tunes.     Epic in scale like a viking charge, and yet clearly there is a tempered method to their steel. Amon Amarth is hands down one of the biggest and best flag bearers for the viking metal genre. Raise your cups of mead and shout skol!!           For make no mistake “Jomsviking” is an epic album full of tales of blood and brotherhood. Tracks like “First Kill”, and “wanderer” split open your skull like a viking axe. But it is clear to all that “On a sea Of Blood” is the standard by which all other members of the genre will judge themselves. This song has it all. Other stand out tracks include “At Dawns light”, “One Thousand Burning Arrows”, and “...

      Biff Byford, of Saxon Interview A preface. This was originally published for the Ripple Effect Magazine during the bands "Sacrifice" tour. With the new album, "Battering Ram" doing so well I thought I would re-publish this. Enjoy.        Once in a while in this music business you get to speak to a person that you admired from day one. It's a one in a million shot that you just have to breathe deep and go for.   The chance to speak with the singer from one of my favorite bands is just that. I still have my vinyl Saxon albums and I remember hanging their posters on my wall. They were "my band". The band that I discovered and brought to my metal friends. They had the coolest album covers and the best song titles. "Denim And Leather", "Crusader", "Midas Touch", "Wheels Of Steel"...the list goes on.   Anyone who knows me well, knows I count them as one of my primary musical influences. I spoke ...

            Off The Grid...Doing it Dylan The Charlie Daniels band Charlie Daniels has an enduring legacy that is iconic in the american music pantheon. Now his musical attention has turned to Bob Dylan. His latest album is a tribute to some of Dylan’s classic songs like,..... “Tangled Up In Blue”, “ I Shall Be Released”, and “ Mr. Tambourine Man”.   As you would expect this is some serious music making. The energy he commands is unprecedented. Powerful renditions of These songs as only charlie daniels could produce. Dylan’s legacy is a monument to a lifetime of classic american folklorish storytelling. His is the lyrical dream of backroad americana, a thought in lyrical digestion tangled up in the histrionics and the very soul of who we are collectively. Daniels takes his songs and brings them back home with his soulful country flavoring. Who better to cover the great master than the architect of modern southern country...

        “What Are You Doing Here”?  A Black Woman's Life And Liberation in Heavy Metal,by Laina Dawes, Bazillion Points Books     This was an interesting interview. Many of us have never given much thought to what it must be like to be a minority that loves heavy metal. For most of us the idea of race as an issue simply doesn’t come into play. But there are always those people who judge skin color over character. Now add into that stereotype a female minority and you have people turning their heads. This is the world that Laina Dawes found herself. Growing up as a metal outcast is one thing, surviving in a brutally real racial and gender divide is another. This book is her wake up call. It is our wake up call as well.  It screams at you the reader to change your perceptions. It is an honest and solitary journey that reveals itself in the end to be the story of us all. I found Laina to be down to earth, friendly and fierc...

Here is my interview with guitarist Jon 5 backstage at the mayhem fest a few years ago. My second face to face interview and during our conversation, who walks by but rob zombie himself...so cool. anyway it's a little outdated but they are touring with korn this year. Jon5 Rob Zombie guitarist Mayhem fest, Backstage Comcast arena, Mansfield mass. Ladies and gentlemen, Jon5:    How is the Mayhem tour going? Tour is going great so far. I can't complain. Good shows, nice weather. We had a power outage in Scranton. Everything is going really well. Looking for more in the future. Are you happy with the production and the stage on this tour? Oh yes. So huge. It can't get much bigger. As   a matter of fact we can't even use all of it today. People are going to watch a really cool show. The album is doing great and is really an excellent hard rock album. Yeah the album. It's great. We recorded it at Rob's place and we had no distractio...