Carl Begai

(Click here for my May 13th, 2009 interview with Devin about the Ki album)

By Carl Begai

Devin Townsend’s last album, Ki, was a clear message that his beloved Strapping Young Lad was indeed dead and buried. Capping off two years of self-imposed silence, the laid back and atmospheric record seemed better suited to a university poetry reading or smokey after hours blues club than the catalogue of someone known for making authentic Norwegian black metal seem tame. Townsend was and remains unapologetic for the scare, and as promised he’s followed Ki up with the second installment of his unofficial Circle Of Hevy Devy’s Life four album exercise under the Devin Townsend Project moniker. And while it’s safe to say that very few people saw it coming, the appropriately titled Addicted may well be one of his strongest outings to date. It depends, of course, on how much one has enjoyed (or not) Townsend’s work outside the Strapping Young Lad demolition derby over the past 15 years, but anyone who is a fan of the man’s diversity as a singer, songwriter and straight-up musical talent won’t go away disappointed. If you do, check to see if your heart is still beating.

“It’s funny. I was talking to a friend of mine at ESP Guitars recently and he said that he didn’t understand why, if I do a record that has the potential to go somewhere, that I can’t keep doing that,” says Townsend. “I tried to explain to him that my process is automatic. I don’t think about it, I don’t preconceive it, and when I write songs I can literally sit down at my computer, turn it on and start writing. If someone left me there and gave me the chance to pee and eat I could have a record a month later. And I wouldn’t know what it was about. (continue reading…)

By Carl Begai

Guitarist Yoichiro Ishino has slowly but surely started to make a name for himself outside of his native Japan with Area51. The band’s forthcoming third album is due for a March 2010 release – showcasing what has become his trademark neo-classical shred gone progressive – but in the midst of songwriting Ishino found the time to assist in writing and recording the two-part Eizo Japan debut. The brainchild of countryman and Anthem vocalist Eizo Sakamoto, the project picks up where his previous band Animetal left off, continuing the metalization of popular Japanese anime theme songs. Sounds like a stretch to Western ears in terms of a concept, but Animetal’s 10 year / eight album run that ended in 2006 suggests it isn’t all that far-fetched. Ishino was aware of Animetal’s appeal going in to do Eizo Japan, making it a no-brainer, and Anthem’s continued popularity can only help to push things forward.

“There’s a decent sized fanbase for Eizo Japan since the majority of the fans are anime fans more than metal fans,” says Ishino. “The project is mainly about Eizo’s vocals, it’s not a band like Animetal was. Several guitar players play on a single album, and the arrangements are not all metal. The sound is more diverse in that sense. All the songs I work on are metal, though. Eizo had the concept of this project for many years and was always looking for the right guitar player, and after seeing me play live some years ago he decided to contact me. For me, it’s such an honor to be able to work with him. Of course, there’s a fanbase so it should have financial success but it’s also a great chance for people to get to know my guitar playing. Still, if someone like Ronnie James Dio approached you and said ‘Hey, would you like to play guitar on my album?’ the financial side wouldn’t be the first thing that pops in your mind, right? It’s the same thing.”
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I recently caught up with Overkill frontman Bobby “Blitz” Ellsworth to discuss the band’s new album, Ironbound, and how he and bassist / co-founder D.D. Verni have managed to keep the monster moving for the past 25 years. Ellsworth has always been a great interview and this time was no exception. An excerpt is below, the complete story is on the BW&BK website.

Ellsworth: “As you said, some records hit you and some don’t, but every step is necessary to be able to get to this point and to realize what your shortcomings are. I come from an age when, as a kid, I wanted to make actual records, something I could hold in my hand. If I think back to what my favourite vinyl is, they were cohesive records that when you put the needle down, from that first note to whatever that last note or scream was, that was The Record. It wasn’t just a collection of songs. It was about a feeling that it left you with after the 50 minutes or the 90 minutes or sometimes the 30 minutes (laughs).”
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With 2009 coming to a close I found myself thinking back 20 years, trying to remember what kind of crap I was up to then and comparing it to the nonsense I’m into now. Following are a few random comparisons between past and present. Enjoy …

1989 — “Holy crap. A real live gorgeous girl talking to me. I think I’m gonna pass out.”
2009 — “Holy crap. I have a girlfriend and friends who are girls, and they’re all gorgeous. That whole ’sell your soul to the devil’ thing really works…”

1989 — Alice In Hell.
2009 — Alice still in hell, aged well, still awesome.

1989 — As of December 1st I’m legally allowed to drink in the United States.
2009 — “Boy, these Americans are clever. Moose piss sold in beer bottles. We’re heading back to Toronto tomorrow, right?”

1989 — Children Of Bodom frontman Alexi Laiho is a Poison fanboy, has learned every lick on Look What The Cat Dragged In and dreams of being like guitarist C.C Deville minus the poofy blonde wigjob.
2009 — “This next song is called ‘Vai And C.C. Wish They Were Me’. GRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!!”

1989 — Finland according to North American metalheads – “Like, Vikings live there, right?”
2009 — Finland according to North American metalheads – To make one (1) internationally successful metal band: Just add water (Note that vodka may be substituted).
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Hails! (no, I’m not referring to the weather…)

A brief update for those that hang around this humble page, prefaced by a politically incorrect Merry impending Christmas to all. Yes, Christmas. Always has been and always will be where I come from, religious hang-ups and denominations and snot-nosed PC bullshit be damned. And it’s not a frickin’ Holiday Tree, it’s a goddamn Christmas tree.

Ah, much better…

This is just a short note to let you in on a few cool happenings. A recent interview I did with Ensiferum bassist Sami Hinkka is now up on Metallus Maximus right here. Cool story (if I do say so myself) on a cool site (if Hellboy does say so himself), so while you’re there take a serious look around. Chances are you’ll be hooked by the time your done.
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As I Lay Dying girlie man Tim Lambesis’ shred-happy Ode To Arnold continues, picking up where Austrian Death Machine’s 2007 debut Total Brutal left off. More of the same out-of-control Suicidal Tendencies mile-a-minute Slipknot skate punk glorifying Mr. Schwarzenegger’s cinematic career, all tied together by grin-worthy between-song banter provided by Josh Robert Thompson. Call it the thrash version of a Conan O’Brien skit gone mad guaranteed to muscle the funnybone of anyone with a background in Arnie, bottom line being you can’t in all fairness carve on something done in the interest of having a bit of fun with the noise. And Lambesis is having a riot. Lead track ‘I Need Your Boots, Your Clothes, And Your Motorcycle’ is one of the ADM’s strongest songs to date, showing off his head for dynamics within the mayhem (he writes, sings and plays almost everything except for the solos), something that has been improved upon since the debut. ‘Who Told You You Could Eat My Cookies?’ sits at the other end of the spectrum, all piss and vinegar and Machine Head-ness. Fave tracks of the moment, however, are the Pumping Iron tribute ‘It’s Simple, If It Jiggles It’s Fat’, the Mr. Freeze-inspired ‘Allow Me To Break The Ice’, and ‘Conan, What Is Best In Life?’, which closes the first disc with the finesse of a truck kissing a brick wall.
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All this talk about Tiger Woods going off to play extra holes on the back nine with most of America’s female population got me thinking about how his wife must feel. Having been married and likewise screwed around I have an idea of what she’s going through on the inside, although the pain and sense of betrayal are undoubtedly worse for her given hubby’s popularity, his bullshit squeaky clean image, and the media’s need to splatter every little bit of info all over this side of the universe.

Like Woods, my ex-wife was (is) an idiot. Looking back on it now I shake my head and wonder “How much stupid did they put in that head?” Not because the relationship going to hell still bothers me – nothing could be further from the truth – but because there are rules about self-absorbed ego-bitches being allowed to fraternize with decent people. Or at least there should be.
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By Carl Begai

No matter what he does musically, vocalist Minoru Niihara will forever be known first and foremost as the singer for Loudness. Even when Obsession’s Michael Vescera and ex-EZO frontman Masaki Yamada took his place (between 1988 – 2001) Niihara was still regarded as the band’s one true voice. Two years prior to Loudness’ official reunion Niihara launched XYZ-A, perhaps best described as a bare bones garage metal band, arguably the most successful venture under his belt outside the Loudness camp. Like any long time band, however, XYZ-A’s appeal seemed to wane with back-to-back ho-hum albums I.V. (2004) and Wings (2006); neither was particularly bad but both were far from memorable a dozen spins later. Their ten year anniversary record, Learn From Yesterday! Live For Today! Hope For Tomorrow! – a take on Albert Einstein’s famous quote – is a much different and aptly titled story, as Niihara and his bandmates have made a welcome return to the devil-may-care attitude of their earlier records. Top that off with a new major label deal in Japan with Toy’s Factory – former home to Arch Enemy – and XYZ-A are primed for another decade at the very least. Loudness, meanwhile, figures as prominently as ever in Niihara’s life.
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By Carl Begai

As a professional musician violinist Anna Phoebe puts many of her peers, and certainly the wide-eyed Idol industry wannabe stars, to shame. Known best as one of the major crowd pleasers on the Trans-Siberian Orchestra’s annual holiday season run, she boasts a phonebook-thick resume featuring projects and live shows with a variety of different artists and on her own. Point being, take the Trans-Siberian Orchestra’s massive stage, high tech lights and big budget production away and Anna still delivers a memorable over-the-top performance. Prior to her current run with TSO in North America she trekked across Europe with UK folk act Oi Va Voi, quite happy to do the low-budget old school club grind in support of the band’s latest album, Travelling The Face Of The Globe. The fans weren’t disappointed, and more than a handful of new ones were made along the way. And while Anna was thrilled to be able to get back to business with TSO, she’ll definitely be out and about with Oi Va Voi and solo when things wind down for another year.

“It keeps things fresh, definitely,” Anna says of jumping from one band to the other, in this case quite literally from one day to the next over several thousand kilometers. “I love playing in arenas; it’s what you dream about doing as a musician, playing in front of 15,000 – 20,000 people every day for three months. The Trans-Siberian Orchestra is an incredible opportunity and touring on that level is definitely different from touring with Oi Va Voi, but sometimes TSO is so different from reality. You always forget just how big it really is, so when you first walk into rehearsal it’s like ‘Wow…’ The reality of being in a band is you’ve got 12 people stuck on a tour bus with no money, you’ve got to set up and take down your own gear, you take whatever’s left over from your rider and cram it on the bus because that’s what you’re going to eat for lunch the next day (laughs). (continue reading…)