CD REVIEW: S/T by THESE RAVEN SKIES

S/T by These Raven Skies
(Blackstream Records)

Canadian rockers, These Raven Skies come out swinging for the fences with their powerful self titled debut outing. Featuring  Jeff Martin (of The Tea Party) who not only agreed to take on production but also became involved as a co-writer and "unofficial" fifth band member. Completing the band are Perkins (vocals), Alex Whitcombe (guitar), Shand Munro (drums) and Trevor Landmark (bass). This is a fairly accessible album from These Raven Skies and it has a predominantly mellow and brooding vibe with some flashy moments reminiscent of Led Zeppelin. Like Led Zeppelin, the These Raven Skies are a true rock-fusion band that melds elements of blues and rock-n-roll, and this fusion is evident throughout this album. All nine tracks served up are spot on. My personal favorites are, the lead off single, "No Need To Worry (feat. Jeff Martin), the all out rocker, "Are We Having Fun",  the acoustic gem, "Emily & Alick", and "Truth Be Told". These Raven Skies are yet another fine Canadian product that will probably be around for awhile. If you like pretty much any type of rock there should be something on here that you'll enjoy.  Overall, These Raven Skies debut outing is a phenomenal piece of work.  This is one recording not to be missed. If you like Led Zeppelin and/or Soundgarden, I am thinking you'd be glad to give These Raven Skies a shot. - Highly Recommended
Tony @ The Dedicated Rocker Society/All Access Magazine

CD REVIEW: GHOSTS by BIG WRECK

GHOSTS by Big Wreck
(Rounder Records)

Canada's Big Wreck return with the follow up to their highly successful 2012 release, 'Albatross', with in my opinion, their best release to date, 'Ghosts'. This the band's fourth full length recording. Big Wreck is: Ian Thornley – vocals/guitar, Brian Doherty – guitars, Paulo Neta – guitars, Dave McMillan - Bass and Chuck Keeping – drums. I've been a big fan of Big Wreck for a decade or better. 'Ghosts' never strays too far from the Toronto-based band's defiantly untrendy Led Zep-encrusted blueprint, but this album delivers a number of standout moments. "A Place To Call Home" clocks in a tad over seven minutes a pounding, snotty Alice in Chains-like dirge, and pulsating, "I Digress" rocks with a soaring chorus and majestic lead-guitar line. The title track has that Pink Floyd vibe. Thornley's guitar solo on this song gave me goose bumps! While the carefree groove, casual vocal, and ragtime piano of "My Life" features Ian Thornley's vocals sounding better than ever. Still, those looking for head-banging epiphanies need look no further than "Friends", "Off And Running", "Come What May" and a great steamy cover of Tom Robinson's, "War Baby" or just about any one of this album's gems. 'Ghosts' has so much heart and depth that any other bands out there who are trying to emulate this should take more time thinking and less time putting together power chord progressions. If you are a current Big Wreck or Ian Thornley fan, then 'Ghosts' is a MUST HAVE album. You won't be disappointed. You will find excellent instrumentation, rhythmic and poetic lyrics, chunky guitar riffs, loads of guitar shred, a killer bass player, a solid drummer, etc. 'Ghosts' is an album that gets better the more you listen to it. And based on the quality and style, it will age well. I expect I will enjoy this album 10-15 years from now, just like their other albums. One of the best albums I've listened to in the last six months. Easily. - Highly Recommended
Tony @ The Dedicated Rocker Society/All Access Magazine

CD REVIEW: S/T (Ep) by GRAND THEFT CULTURE

S/T (Ep)  by Grand Theft Culture
(Independent Release)

The debut outing from Los Angeles based via Stockholm, Sweden, rockers Grand Theft Culture, is a sign of bigger and better things to come! Michel Santunione on vocals and guitar, Johannes Sandberg on bass and Markus Hjalsten on drums. The band's self titled four song Ep is like the perfect party rock album. The songs completely rock and  they're balanced by great melodies and some insanely catchy guitar hooks and sing-along choruses. As the band exhibits right from the start with the lead off single, "Down The Line", a great sing along rock anthem that will get your rock and roll juices flowing! Next up, the boys funk things up with the bump and grind groove of, "Pushed Around" then they put the hammer down with the balls out rocker, "Cut To Pieces", a song born to be played at "10"! Closing out things out is the psychedelic rocker, "Touch The Sky". The energy, the talent and chemistry between Santunione, Sandberg and Hjalsten will without a doubt connect with a live audience which will help drive this group to the top. Grand Theft Culture manages to combine a driving rock beat with a lyrically driven melody that together produce some truly entertaining and compelling music. I for one am definitely looking forward to the band's full length debut!  If you are one of those people that likes to be the first to discover a great rock and roll band, you need to check out Grand Central Culture. - Highly Recommended
Tony @ The Dedicated Rocker Society/All Access Magazine

FEATURED INTERVIEW: NIC MAEDER of GOTTHARD

Swiss Rockers Return with a BANG! 
Interview with Nic Maeder of GOTTHARD

by The Dedicated Rocker Society

“Music has been my companion all my life and always was an important part of it. It is a great feeling to be able to share in the birth of a song and to see how it keeps growing. I can experience that with GOTTHARD and it makes me happy. I am making music with friends.“

When Swiss rockers Gotthard broke out onto the music scene in 1992 they took the rock world by storm. Founded in Lugano by Steve Lee and Leo Leoni. Gotthard' s last ten albums have all reached number 1 on the Swiss album charts, making them one of the most successful Swiss acts ever. With 2 million albums sold, they managed to get multi-platinum awards in different parts of the world. The band takes its name from the Saint-Gotthard Massif.

Sadly, co-founder and singer, Steve Lee died in a motorcycle accident on October 5, 2010. On November 11, 2011, the band  announced a new singer, Nic Maeder. In December 2012, Gotthard have concluded the 'Firebirth Tour', in support of their 10th studio album, 'Firebirth'.

In 2014 Gotthard are thrilled to unleash their latest studio album 'BANG!', the bands 11th studio release (2nd with Nic Maeder) in North America via The End Records.

The band's newest member and singer, Nic Maeder called in to share his thoughts on the new album and this is what He shared with us..

Q:  Let's talk about the new album. Where was 'Bang!' recorded?

NM:  The album was recorded at Leo's Yellow House Studios in Lugano . It was mixed at the Dutch Wisseloord Studios (Mick Jagger, Paul McCartney, Tina Turner) by Ronald Prent (The Scorpions, Def Leppard, Within Temptation).

Q: How many songs did you actually write for the album? 

NM: We pretty much wrote sixteen songs for the album and ended up recording them all. Then we decided to which we'd used as bonus tracks.

Q: Are you happy with overall response with 'Bang!'?

NM: Really happy actually. With all the great reviews it's been great and we really appreciate it. 

Q: How do you feel about getting signed with The End Records, an American label? 

NM: We felt like, it is nice to finally put out a record in America! (laughs). Everyone in the band is very happy that we are signed to The End Records. We are very excited!

Q: Does this mean a possible tour here in America? 

NM: Not at this moment we've got some shows in Japan and most of Europe and some dates in South America.

Q: Gotthard has such a large catalog of songs. What was it like performing with the band for the first time? 

NM:  The first time performing with band on stage was a little rough playing in front of a thousand people, but it was exciting at the same time! I really didn't have to learn the band's entire catalog. There were the classic Gotthard songs that fans expect to hear like, "Lift U Up" ,"Anytime, Anywhere" and more importantly ballads like, "One Life, One Soul" and "Heaven", if we don't perform those songs we'd be in trouble (laughs).

Q: How long did it take to learn their earlier material?

NM: I actually learned the songs through the auditioning process. The actual process took eight months. I was living in Australia at the time and I went to Switzerland three times. Man, that's a pretty long flight, about 26 hours (laughs). In that time frame, I already knew the band's songs, so by the time I actually got the job, I had the songs down pat.  We tried a few things like re-recording the songs to hear what they'd sound like with me singing them. Then we'd pick the songs that sounded best. 

Q: 'Bang!', is your second album with Gotthard.  Are you more comfortable now than on 'FIREBIRTH'? 

NM: The idea was to do the best that I could. Obviously, the first year with the band was difficult. Playing in front of thousands of people . I was happy that fans accepted the change. It could have gone either way. It's the time of thing that you got going in your head you just got to do the best that you can and hope for the best really. Luckily we have great support from the fans. Gotthard is a band that physically meets and speaks with their fans.

Q: The video for the song, "Bang!", is great, who came up with the concept? Was this shot before Germany winning the World Cup?

NM: We knew the World Cup was coming up and we started thinking of ideas of how we could use soccer for the video. We threw around some ideas and came up with using the black and white footage of an old soccer match. Then wanted to incorporate ourselves into the video as multiple characters. From being soccer players, fans in the stands, a photographer to referees. 

Q: Looks like you guys had fun shooting that videos. 

NM: Yeah, it was a fun shoot. You have to watch it a few times to see all the different characters. It was a blast making that video. And yes, it was shot before Germany won The Cup (laughs).

 Q: Gotthard has been known to do covers, did you guys consider covering any songs for 'Bang!'?

NM: No, not for 'Bang', but you're right Gotthard normally does cover one or two songs. We didn't even think about it for the new album (laughs).

Q: What some your favorite places you've play outside Switzerland ? 

NM: Japan, South America and Russia was a really cool place. Touring is a great way to travel to meet different people and their local customs. 

Q: What do you like doing when you're not recording? 

NM: Well we really don't get much time (laughs), but I'm actually getting my pilot's license. I've always had friends in Switzerland and Australia that are pilots. I've just been dying to do it. Plus my Dad was a pilot , we're talking small planes, I got the "pilot bug" from him.

Q:  Wow! Once you get your pilot's license, Gotthard won't need a pilot to fly their tour plane, just like Bruce Dickinson is doing with Iron Maiden.

NM: (laughs) Yeah, that's right! 

Q: What bands do you like listening to?

NM:  Yeah, there are The Rival Sons and a band that toured with us in Europe called, The Answer. They are a great bunch of guys and a great band. Also band called Airbourne from Australia. Electric Mary are another great band, who are good friends of mine. 

Q: What's next for Gotthard?

NM: We haven't started on anything new as of yet. We don't yet if were going to keep touring 'Bang!'. Then next year start writing again. But usually it's every second year. For now we'll be doing lots of shows. 

For more information on Gotthard, please go to:
http://gotthard.com/en/


To get your copy of 'Bang!', please visit:
https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/bang!-deluxe-edition/id891190967

CD REVIEW: BREAKING THE MODEL by NEW MEDICINE

BREAKING THE MODEL by New Medicine
(Imagen Records)

Minneapolis, Minnesota  base melodic hard rockers New Medicine return with their highly anticipated sophomore release, 'Breaking The Model'. Jake (vocals,guitar), Dan Garland (guitar), Kyle Leblanc (bass, vocals) and Dylan Wood (drums). The new album sees the band continuing the flow and feel of their debut, 'Race You To The Bottom' with a nice mix of radio ready songs and others that while they may not be heard on radio do still complete the album nicely. The title tracks kicks the album off with it's anthem rock meets reggae vibe. "Desire Into Gold" and "One To Many" are two energized rockers that are guaranteed to get your blood pumping. What makes New Medicine music refreshing is it's variety. There is the melodic gem, "All About Me", that has radio hit written all over it. While the party rocking anthem, "World Class F··K Up", begs to be cranked up the maximum volume! All 11 tracks offered up here are solid.  It's rare these days for a band to put out good albums for their first two efforts so I was happy to see that there was no sophomore slump here.  There are a lot of bands in this genre that are well established putting out albums that completely stink. So considering most new bands tend to flop with their follow up, I'd say New Medicine has done the opposite. I look forward to future albums from this band. Bottom line is, if you liked their debut album then you'll definitely love this one! - Highly Recommended
Tony @ The Dedicated Rocker Society/All Access Magazine

CD REVIEW: THE ESSENTIAL RICHIE KOTZEN by RICHIE KOTZEN

THE ESSENTIAL RICHIE KOTZEN 
by Richie Kotzen
(Loud & Proud Records)

Let me start off by saying that I've been a huge fan of Richie Kotzen's since the 'Electric Joy' days. His premium blend of old school R&B, soul and rock combined with his amazing legato technique and rich vocal delivery is incredibly powerful. Not only is Richie Kotzen a virtuoso guitarist and a have soulfully powerful voice, he is also a remarkable songwriter. The 2 CD set and 1 DVD, 'The Essential Richie Kotzen' set encompasses Richie's iconic entire career. Richie personally curated the tracks on this set  from his 18 solo albums in order to give listeners the most comprehensive, cohesive, and concise introduction to his extensive body of work. Disc One features thirteen tracks with soulful blues rock Kotzen classics that cannot be denied, "Love Is Blind", "Go Faster", "Fool Again", "OMG (What's Your Name), "Fear" and a personal favorite the powerful, "You Can't Save Me". It also features three never before released tracks in the form of the groove laden movers in the form of,"War Paint", "Walk With Me" and the soulful sway of "Lie To Me". Disc Two features ten tracks of acoustic performances and bootleg material. New acoustic versions of "What Is", "High", "Change" and "Special" kick off disc two. The next four tracks are unplugged versions of, "Paint It On", "Holding On" and a song that is one my favorite penned Richie Kotzen songs, "Until You Suffer Some (Fire And Ice), which appeared on the Poison' s 'Native Tongue', Ritchie's vocals on this version are simply amazing and out of this world! The other acoustic track another favorite, "The Road". Just goes to show, plugged or unplugged Richie Kotzen delivers the goods! Original demo versions of "Regret" and "Damaged" close out the set.  If you are new to Richie Kotzen' s music, you will thoroughly enjoy this collection of powerful, soulful, supremely rocking music! Buy a copy of this set and give it to any music lover under the age of 30 to remind the younger generation what mainstream music SHOULD be in the 21st century. Once upon a time, there was actually a national music scene where talent, originality, and musicianship were the requirements for becoming a star. If you are a music lover and tired of being deprived of real talent in today's dreadful music scene, I welcome you to the world of Richie Kotzen as you discover the kind of greatness that is no longer allowed on the charts today. This isn't American Idol, Britney Spears, or Taylor Swift. Richie Kotzen is REAL talent...REAL musicianship....THE REAL DEAL. 'The Essential Richie Kotzen' set belongs in the collection of anyone who values what REAL talent is all about in music. Thank you Richie! - Essential 
Tony @ The Dedicated Rocker Society/All Access Magazine