Carl Begai

By Carl Begai

Folks that know me will agree the only thing I know about fashion is that I don’t have any sense in that regard. I do, however, keep company with a few talented up-and-coming designers (how that happened is anybody’s guess). During my recent trip home to Toronto I went to breakfast with my good friend and former Woods Of Ypres keyboardist Jessica Rose, who launched her own company Corpseknit Clothing a few years ago. Dubbed “Neo-Victorian knitwear”, it was a do-it-herself-at-home venture that achieved moderate success via an online store. I learned, however, that the interest in her work had grown to a level where it made sense to change the name of the company to something a little more welcoming to those standing in Sleepy Hollow gothic fear of the Corpseknit brand name. So it went that A Resurrection Of Romance by Jessica Rose Design was born.

Jessica and her husband entertained me and The Girlfriend with a tale of risking life and limb for her photo gallery (okay, well, ditching Molson Indy security people, hair and make-up done on a streetcar… ), which was followed by a photo shoot with The Girlfriend in the historic Distillery district of Toronto for some hat-type things Jessica has created (I believe the word is “beret”, but I’m a guy so I don’t actually have a clue). Over the course of the morning I was aware that in spite of Jessica’s petite stature her enthusiasm for the work at hand puts her at about 10 feet tall. Like everything else artistic these days, the fashion branch is a make-noise-or-die business; she’s up to her eyeballs in it and winning. (continue reading…)

My latest “victim” was none other than Death Angel vocalist Mark Osegueda. We discussed the band’s new album, Relentless Retribution, the departure of founding members Andy Galeon (drums) and Dennis Pepa (bass), and death Angel’s plan to tour the globe until they run out of people to play for. An excerpt is available below…

Calling the new album Death Angel’s most aggressive work since their reunion is warranted, but Osegueda doesn’t offer the usual “natural evolution” lip service. According to the singer the band made a conscious decision to pushing the new music past well past the Killing Season benchmark. The end result is a thrash album echoing Death Angel’s humble beginnings with The Ultra-Violence and Frolic Through The Park.

“We’ve been hearing a lot of people saying ‘When are Death Angel going to put out a thrash album?’ Here you go (laughs). (continue reading…)

By Carl Begai

UK-based writer / journalist Neil Daniels has created his own little-and-ever-growing literary empire showcasing some of rock and metal’s finest – Robert Plant, Judas Priest and Bon Jovi to name a few. He has also issued All Pens Blazing, a book that focuses on the journalists that keep the metal industry media ball rolling. I caught up with Daniels earlier this year to discuss his new Priest-related outing, Al Atkins’ autobiography Dawn Of The Metal Gods, and other irons currently in the fire. Following is an interview that has been long overdue with regards to seeing print and is certainly worth reading.

And on that note…

CB: What was the catalyst, the defining moment if you will, that you said “Okay, let’s write a book about / with Al Atkins”? Folks might look at the project and go “Why bother?” given that Judas Priest has done just fine without him. (continue reading…)

By Carl Begai

I recently caught up with My Ruin vocalist Tairrie B. for BW&BK to discuss the band’s new album, Ghosts And Good Stories. My first ever interview with Ms. B. took place in 1997 for her one and only Tura Satana album, Relief Through Release, which lasted over an hour (thank hell I brought a 90 minute tape with me – yes, in the age before digital doodad recording). The second go ‘round happened in 2000 for the A Prayer Under Pressure Of Violent Anguish record, a long distance one-hour chat that I’m hoping the label paid for. It came as no surprise, then, that our long overdue meeting of the minds resulted in another marathon conversation. Check out Chapter 1 here, then feed your brain on Chapter 2 below…

Long before Arch Enemy vocalist Angela Gossow was a metalhead household name, way before In This Moment’s Maria Brink and Walls Of Jericho’s Candace Kucsulain became screamo pin-ups, Tairrie B. Murphy was shredding up a vocal storm. My Ruin’s new album, Ghosts And Good Stories, features Tairrie at the top of her game and out for blood. The fact that the aforementioned bands boast flashier promotion and bigger tours than My Ruin hasn’t left her bitter, just more determined to continue educating people with quality mayhem.

“To be perfectly honest, I’m not really interested in the kind of so-called respect a band like In This Moment gets,” states Tairrie, blunt and to the point. “I’m familiar with the band as they used to open for us in LA, and they are nice enough people, but I’m not a fan of their music or image in any way. I find it all very contrived and derivative of many other bands that have come before them; just my personal opinion. We took Walls Of Jericho on tour with us in the UK back in 2004 and they got a great response. Again, not a fan of their music or genre, but Candace is an energetic front woman on stage. I just find it hard to take some of these bands that play up the whole tough-and-independent-strong-female-vocalist persona seriously when I know behind the scenes the guys in the band are basically in control of everything. I’ve seen that with a lot of female fronted bands over the years. No one has ever told me what I can or cannot do or say in my last band or my current one and no one ever will – including my husband. I have my own mind and I speak it just like Mick (Murphy / guitarist, husband) speaks his. We make decisions as partners rather than someone telling the other one what they can do and we respect ourselves, which is the most important respect to have in the music industry as far as we’re concerned. I think our passion for our music is what pushes us and has continued to push us to where we are today with the release of our sixth album together.” (continue reading…)

By Carl Begai

Leaves’ Eyes vocalist Liv Kristine Espenæs Krull and I recently sat down to discuss her new solo album, Skintight. Towards the end of the interview (found here) I asked her for her thoughts on her former band Theatre Of Tragedy’s decision to call it quits after 17 years. Liv was an integral part of the band, and it’s fair to say they were one of the building blocks in my metal education. It’s sad to see them go, and I’m not the only one that thinks so.

“I received an invitation from the guys in Theatre Of Tragedy asking me if I wanted to make a guest appearance in Stavanger at their final gig on October 2nd,” Liv reveals. “I’ll be in the States on tour so there’s no way I can do it, which is a pity. My mother is going, though, and I’m still in touch with Raymond (Rohonyi / vocals) and Lorentz (Aspen / keyboards). We’ve talked about what happened between us and, well, it is what it is. You can’t change the past.”

“Without Theatre Of Tragedy I wouldn’t be where I am today. I learned a lot during those years. I founded the band with Raymond when I was 18 and we went on tour when I was 19. It was crazy, and what we learned and experienced in those years was fantastic. (continue reading…)

I recently caught up with Dream Theater frontman James LaBrie to discuss his new solo album, Static Impulse. It took place right after my return trip to Toronto, where I spent the whole month driving around with the record blasting in my car. At this point it looks like it’s going to be my top album of 2010 when the BW&BK family gets down to drawing up our year-end lists. Enjoy…

Admittedly, there’s a morbid sense of amusement to be had when playing the new James LaBrie album for the first time to fanatic Dream Theater fans. The effect is similar to introducing a favourite horror flick to your unsuspecting significant other and conveniently neglecting to mention the hack and slash starts almost immediately. Jaw on the floor, a stifled yelp, fingernails embedded in the ceiling. And while this may be an exaggeration to some degree, it’s safe to say people familiar with LaBrie’s work will do a double take less than 20 seconds into his new solo album, Static Impulse. What begins as a welcome return to familiar ground pounded out by his 2005 release, Elements Of Persuasion, quickly becomes something far more aggressive than anyone expected, complete with death metal vocals. The song in question, ‘One More Time’, isn’t a one-off either, instead setting the tone for the entire record as the most aggressive and diverse work of LaBrie’s career.

“We started touching on that with Elements Of Persuasion,” says LaBrie matter-of-factly, aware that ‘One More Time’ has frightened more than a few fans. “The first song on that album, ‘Crucify’, was very in your face, very aggressive, very metal. So was the song ‘Pretender’. We knew how things were going to go coming into this new album, and we actually started putting ideas together around January 2009. What I think is really important when writing an album is keeping it dynamic and exciting no matter what your style, and we knew that if we were going to write a metal album it had to be in the now. (continue reading…)

By Carl Begai

Six albums into their 11 year existence and My Ruin are still fighting for respect. On the one hand vocalist Tairrie B. and guitarist / co-conspirator / husband Mick Murphy continue to enjoy a loyal under-the-radar following, but on the flipside many people that stumble across My Ruin have no idea what to make of them. The hope is that the new album, Ghosts And Good Stories, will change that to some degree by opening a few more doors. The record is a slab of scathing original thinking that has the potential to appeal to metal fans old and new – worshippers of AC/DC down to Zakk Wylde take note – provided they get a chance to hear it. So it goes that the couple remain completely hands-on with regards to the push that is currently underway, ultimately steering clear of two-faced record label maggots in the continued journey towards a larger audience. Familiar ground at this stage of the game for the pair, because it’s this do-it-yourself attitude that has kept My Ruin alive and kicking this long.

“We do what we do on our own terms and have been isolated from the metal community in many ways,” says Murphy. “We’re an autonomous band that has up to this point, pretty much existed on our own. I realize this probably holds us back in some ways, but we’re also one of the more free-spirited bands out there and have enjoyed complete expressive freedom and a very do-it-yourself attitude throughout our entire career. Why bitch about it? We’ve made our own decisions and chosen our own path. Would I like to have a killer opening spot on a big tour? Sure, if it is the right gig for us. Do I think this is going to happen? Probably not, but that’s okay.” (continue reading…)

As I get older there’s a growing tendency to dismiss the younger generation as a collective of superficial, lazy, clued-out morons. I’m talking about ages 13 through 30, who in my estimation are for the most part a legion of spoiled X-Box / Playstation brats that take too many things in life for granted.

Mobile technology. Music in your grubby eardrums at the click of a button. Research and plagiarism made possible without having to go anywhere near a library. Print-’em at home concert / movie / hockey tickets. Not having to risk life and at least one hand scoffing Dad’s copies of Penthouse (again) thanks to Bill Gates products in the privacy of your own room.

Good for them. Pass Junior another Happy Meal, then try to get him out of the fucking house. (continue reading…)

By Carl Begai

Audrey Dujardin’s rise as an in-demand photographer is proof that taking baby steps towards a career pays off. It helps, of course, when each step taken lands like a steel-soled Doc Marten rather than a tap shoe.

Dujardin’s work speaks for itself, but trying to slow her down long enough to pick her brain was a welcome challenge. Following is a revealing look through her lens and behind her eyes… (continue reading…)