Carl Begai

By Carl Begai

Anthony J. Mifsud has worked hard at being an entertainer for over 20 years. He doesn’t live a rags-to-riches existence, subscribing instead to a process of shedding blood, sweat and the occasional tear to get to where he is now. His efforts have finally paid off.

Better known simply as Mif, he drew attention to himself as the frontman of Toronto’s legendary late ‘80s metal band Slash Puppet, cutting a demo (‘89) and one official album (’93) before calling it quits in 1995. By this time Mif already had a few acting gigs under his belt, but it was his appearance in Kung Fu: The Legend Continues in 1994 that got the ball rolling in earnest. Mif’s resume is nothing to sneeze at, as it also includes appearances on TV shows such as PSI Factor, Relic Hunter, Once A Thief, Due South and FX as well as credits on films starring Sylvester Stallone (D-Tox), Dolph Lundgren (Detention) and Ryan Reynolds (Foolproof). In the last two years, however, things have become decidedly busier with a pivotal role in the Gina Gershon film Just Business (2008) and a recurring role as the evil Dr. Necros on the new Disney XD program Aaron Stone, the latter of which Mif considers the opportunity of a lifetime.
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(Go to this location for Part 1)

By Carl Begai

As previously reported, Crimson Glory frontman Midnight (real name John Patrick McDonald Jr.) passed away on Wednesday, July 8th at 3:30am EST due to kidney and liver failure at the age of 47. During my recent exclusive interview with guitarist Jon Drenning, he discussed the band’s 1999 comeback album Asronomica and its connection to their Strange And Beautiful record from 1991, which was deemed a colossal flop in the wake of their 1988 breakthrough, Transcendence, due to a change in musical direction.

Drenning comments on vocalist Wade Black being tapped as Crimson Glory’s new frontman for Astronomica, making some startling revelations with regards to the writing for the album.

“Nobody could copy Midnight, but Wade fit the Crimson Glory style,” Drenning says of choosing Black, who is arguably the closest they could have gotten to a worthy successor. “Astronomica was originally written and recorded for Midnight. (continue reading…)

I’m a geek at the core of my blackened heart. Absolutely.

I have a comic collection that would make present day diehard collectors green with envy. I’m dying to see the new Star Trek movie. I was first in line for Indiana Jones And The Temple Of Doom on its first day of release, beating out the entire Scarberian Nerd Squad by a solid two hours. I can recite dialogue from the original Star Wars trilogy, much to my own chagrin.

The reason I’m daring to admit this publicly and risk doing irreparable harm to my oh-so-metal image is that I recently spewed out a review of Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace for Suite101. Not something I’d planned on, but after stumbling upon an interview with actor Jake Lloyd discussing the last 10 years living with the fallout from his lousy performance in the film I decided to go back and see if it was as bad as I remembered.

It was worse.
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As previously reported, Crimson Glory frontman Midnight (real name John Patrick McDonald Jr.) passed away on Wednesday, July 8th at 3:30am EST due to kidney and liver failure at the age of 47. I recently had the unexpected opportunity to interview guitarist Jon Drenning – at his suggestion – to discuss Midnight’s passing and set the record straight with regards to the rumours and misconceptions surrounding his death.

We also discussed Crimson Glory’s enduring legacy – an overview of the Transcendence album can be found here – and their upcoming September 11th ProgPower USA show as a tribute to Midnight. During the conversation Drenning elaborated on the involvement of for-the-time-being unknown special guest vocalist Danaë Saree, who also happens to be his wife.

“Danaë is an amazing singer, but unfortunately she never got to meet Midnight until he was in the hospital,” says Drenning. “She’s got some of the same elements that Midnight had that I love. She’s able to write beautiful, eloquent, colourful lyrics, and the ability to convey them emotionally when she sings. I’m very fortunate to have someone in my life again to be able to sit down with and create music, and to hear her sing those songs. Midnight recorded many songs before he passed away, Danae plays guitar or piano and sings Midnight’s songs, so in a way it’s like having Midnight back in my life.”
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(Please note: If you have no idea who the Misfits are you might want to click here for a history lesson. It’s significant to what you’re about to read…)

By Carl Begai

As mentioned in Part 1 of this interview, Joel Gausten’s accomplishments as a writer go hand-in-hand with his conquests as a musician. He lays claim to having performed and / or recorded with Pigface, Electric Frankenstein, the Misfits and The Undead and has been forced on occasion to defend those claims – for the record, successfully – particularly with regards to the Misfits. Gausten raised the ire of their fans in early 2009 by posting what he said were bootleg rehearsal recordings featuring himself on drums on his MySpace page, with many of the discontented pointing out that Gausten was never a member of the band. That said, how dare he suggest he performed with the legendary horror punk outifit? The Misfits had been around since the 1977. Gausten was clearly blowing smoke; as if he’d been kicking back with the band at the age of 12…

“(Laughs) Pretty close; I was 17, and that was just another happy accident. It was 1996 and there was actually a scene for a 17 year old punk rocker. I was into it full force. Being in New Jersey at that age, you couldn’t not love the Misfits because they were the quintessential punk band. At that point in time they hadn’t reformed yet, and there was this whole wonderful mystique about them because they hadn’t been around. If you were a kid in New Jersey in those days and you went to a record store and saw a poster of Doyle (guitars), that was a very cool thing because we all loved the Misfits. Being the rambunctious pain-in-the-ass that I am, I was booking some shows that were doing pretty well, I thought ‘Why don’t I find the Misfits and have them reform?’ (laughs).”
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By Carl Begai

Introducing Battlesoul. Folk metal from Goderich, Ontario.

Really.

Not quite as unfathomable as an Italian folk metal band singing the praises of Finland, but pretty damn close. Montreal-based Blackguard are able to get away with playing the extreme folk card in that they hail from a part of the Canadian continent – yes, it is large enough to be a continent – steeped in a history of exploration, native Indians, prohibition-era Americans in search of alcohol, and the best poutine in the country (and the world, for that matter). Goderich boasts ice hockey, tailgate parties and a town square. All kidding aside, Battlesoul’s self-titled five song EP shows promise of bigger things to come; strong enough to stand out in an overcrowded scene, conjuring up images of an illegitimate Corrs sibling showing up unannounced for a round of Ensiferum-flavoured Celtic thrash. At the very least it’s proof of Battlesoul’s claims of Guinness, Jameson’s and At The Gates being major influences in all things metal.
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I lost my rock club virginity in 1987, a year before I became legally allowed to get sloshed in public. It was only fitting that my chosen arena for the all-important passage to metalhead manhood took place at The Gasworks, one of two high profile rock venues in Toronto – the other being the beloved original Rock N’ Roll Heaven – that played host to wannabes and would-bes and acknowledged stars during its quarter century run (Yes, the same Gasworks Mike Myers mentions in Wayne’s World, even though the film’s version of the club is “slightly” different from the original). As a wet-behind-the-ears teen I’d passed the nondescript Yonge Street club during countless trips to the Record Peddler, Cheapies and Sam’s, wondering what it was like to see the bands advertised in the bashed up showcase window outside playing what must be a pretty small fricking room. I’d heard the Gasworks name thrown around time and again by the big boys at arena shows over the years, which added to the mystique, making it one of the Places I Have To Check Out Before I Die.
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